The Centre has clarified that no land acquisition requisitions have been sent to state governments for the three proposed high-speed rail corridors connecting Hyderabad to Chennai, Bengaluru, and Pune, even as alignment studies for all three routes remain underway. The clarification, issued on 10 October 2026, comes amid growing farmer resistance to land acquisition drives on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

What the Railway Minister Said

Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy met Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi to discuss the three corridor proposals. Following the meeting, Reddy shared the minister's position publicly, stating: "Hon'ble Railway Minister clarified that no land acquisition requisition has been sent to the respective state governments and that any land acquisition being carried out in the name of High-Speed Rail at this stage is illegal."

Reddy posted the clarification on X, underlining that alignment finalization is a prerequisite before any land details can be shared with state governments or farmers.

Where the Three Corridors Stand

The three proposed corridors — Hyderabad–Chennai, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, and Hyderabad–Pune — are still in the alignment study phase. According to officials, once alignments are finalised, the details will be formally communicated to the respective state governments and affected farming communities. South Central Railway also shared a video on social media confirming that Vaishnaw held a detailed discussion with Reddy on the proposed alignments.

Why Farmers Were Alarmed

The clarification was prompted by land acquisition activity attributed to the Telangana government for rail corridor and related infrastructure projects, which had triggered significant resistance from farmers on Hyderabad's outskirts. Vaishnaw's statement effectively distances the Centre from those acquisition drives, labelling any such action taken in the name of high-speed rail at this stage as illegal — a pointed signal to both state agencies and affected landowners.

Indian Railways' Broader Financial Picture

Separately, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw disclosed that Indian Railways had incurred capital expenditure of over ₹1.14 lakh crore — approximately 39% of its total budgetary allocation — for 2026–27 till July. The full-year allocation stands at ₹2,93,030 crore, of which ₹1,14,973 crore had been spent. Expenditure on safety-related activities has risen sharply, from ₹39,200 crore in 2013–14 to ₹1,20,389 crore in 2026–27.

On the indigenously developed Kavach Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, Vaishnaw said Version 4.0 has been commissioned over 2,633 route kilometres as of 31 July, covering key stretches of the Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah high-density corridors.

What Happens Next

The Centre's intervention effectively halts any state-level land acquisition conducted in anticipation of high-speed rail corridors before formal alignment approval. Farmers and landowners in the affected regions will likely await official alignment maps before any further government action. With alignment studies still ongoing, a concrete timeline for the three Hyderabad-linked corridors remains to be established.