Quite an ignorant statement made by the political leader, in my opinion. The tracks will need to be tested extensively to see if they support 160 kmph travel. Even the Raj and Shatabdi don't do 130+ in the section. I am also apprehensive of the fact whether demand exists. A Gatimaan express would not benefit the locals since it would be too expensive. Only routes having extremely high demand will be able to sustain a Gatimaan.
IR identified few sections like Delhi-Kanpur, Delhi-Chandigarh, etc in its future considerations for running a Gatimaan-type train; I think they should stick to their current road-map instead of introducing any new sectors.