Union Budget 2026: Mountain trains to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir; what we know

NEW DELHI: India will develop ecologically sustainable mountain trains and hiking trails in key hill regions, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced while presenting the 2026 Budget.The government plans to introduce mountain trains in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir, as well as in the Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Pudigai Malai in the Western Ghats. Special wildlife tourism trails are also planned, including turtle trails along nesting sites in Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala, and bird-watching routes around Pulicat Lake.“India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experiences,” Sitharaman said.The Budget also outlines a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport. Seven high-speed rail corridors are planned, linking Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri. These routes aim to cut travel times, reduce emissions and connect major economic and technology hubs.In addition, the government plans new dedicated freight corridors and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years, reinforcing its focus on cleaner, faster, and more sustainable transport.