The Ministry of Railways has accorded in-principle approval to the Pune-Nashik semi high-speed rail project that was in the pipeline for the last three years. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement in New Delhi on Sunday after a meeting with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
“I thank the railway minister for granting in-principle approval to the Pune-Nashik high-speed railway project. The high-speed rail between Pune and Nashik will boost development and provide seamless connectivity to the industrial zones of both cities. Our technical committee will finalise the technical details of the project and then submit it for approval by the Union cabinet,” Fadnavis said in a video release.
“Pune and Nashik are important cities of Maharashtra economically and culturally. It would be our endeavour to provide rail connectivity to these two cities,” Vaishnaw said.
Shirur MP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Amol Kolhe, who had recently raised the issue of the Pune-Nashik semi high-speed rail with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Fadnavis, thanked Vaishnaw and Fadnavis for pushing the project.
Kolhe, however, sought clarity on the specification of the railway line. “It must happen on broad gauge. It is not clear if the in-principle approval is for the existing proposal or if there are some changes. This point is important because only if the project is carried out on broad gauge will it benefit the farmers and industries in this region,” he said.
As per the proposal prepared by Maharashtra Railway Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC), the train will run at a speed of 200 kmph and stop at a total of 24 stations — eight major and 16 small ones — passing through the three districts of Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik.
