Hyderabad: The proposed Hyderabad-Bengaluru high-speed rail corridor will pass through Shamshabad, Mannanur, and Somasila instead of the previous route that linked Mahbubnagar and Wanaparthy Road before entering Andhra Pradesh at Kurnool, according to the preliminary alignment survey.
The change in the alignment, official sources said, was made by National High Speed Rail Corridor Limited (NHSRCL) at the request of the state government.
“The state government recommended an alternative Shamshabad-Mannanur-Srisailam alignment, later rejoining Kurnool via Somasila, arguing that since a conventional railway line existed towards Mahbubnagar, the high-speed rail corridor should instead be developed in a region without an existing railway network,” the sources said. The preliminary survey for the proposed high-speed rail corridor is nearing completion.
The proposed route begins from Kokapet and passes through Shamshabad before touching the Nallamala forest region. The basic alignment has been identified through the naturally scenic regions of Mannanur and Somasila. After Mannanur, the alignment was prepared towards Somasila before joining Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.
NHSRCL is conducting station surveys along the corridor and has proposed five stations within Telangana at Shamshabad, Bharat Future City, Aamanallu, Mannanur and Somasila.
The Hyderabad-Bengaluru route is among the three high-speed rail corridors announced by the Centre from Hyderabad in the Union Budget 2026-27. The corridor starts in Telangana, passes through Andhra Pradesh and terminates in Karnataka. Of the total alignment, nearly 205 km will fall within Telangana.
The sources said two alignment options are being considered between Kokapet and Shamshabad. One alignment is proposed along the Outer Ring Road (ORR), while the second option is proposed outside the ORR limits. Following completion of the survey process, a detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared, and officials indicated that further changes or additions may still be incorporated at the DPR stage.
The revised alignment has triggered environmental concerns as the proposed route passes through ecologically sensitive stretches of the Amrabad tiger reserve. The Mannanur- Srisailam stretch falls within the tiger reserve zone and also traverses ghat road terrain in the Nallamala forest region.
Despite the concerns, officials expressed confidence that the Centre would approve the project, citing the recent clearance granted for the four-lane Hyderabad–Srisailam elevated road corridor (NH-765), which also passes through the Amrabad and Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam tiger reserves. Officials said the proposed high-speed railway corridor is expected to run parallel to the elevated road corridor.
The Rs 7,668 crore elevated road corridor project includes special environmental protection measures such as 300-metre wildlife viaducts and an iconic suspension bridge across the Krishna River to minimise ecological disruption. The elevated corridor, spanning around 54.9 km, including approximately 45.1-km of fully elevated stretch, begins at Brahmanapalli in Achampet of Nagarkurnool district and ends at Pathalaganga near the Srisailam temple.
The elevated road corridor is expected to reduce travel time between Hyderabad and Srisailam by nearly 45 minutes and facilitate seamless 24/7 travel. It will also replace the existing hazardous ghat roads and eliminate the present night-time travel restrictions through the Nallamala forest while ensuring safe wildlife movement beneath the viaduct structures.
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