Govt of India approves Rs 16,039 crore Pune-Nashik Semi High Speed Rail Project

Nashik, India (Urban Transport News): The central government cabinet has approved a proposal for the implementation of a 235 km Semi-High Speed Rail Corridor between Pune and Nashik in Maharashtra. "The Central Government has approved Nashik-Pune High-Speed Railway project, which will give a boost to the development of Nashik-Pune-Ahmednagar districts," said Chhagan Bhujbal,  Maharashtra and District Guardian Minister said while speaking at a review meeting on land acquisition for Nashik-Pune railway line project held at the collectorate here on Monday i.e. May 31, 2021.

He said that all the approvals have been received for starting this project and the work on the high-speed railway line is being started expeditiously. The Nashik-Pune high-speed railway line will be the first in the country to be built at the cost of Rs 16,039 crore. The journey will be completed in just two hours due to the Greenfield Semi High-Speed Double Line Railway, he informed.

The project will be funded both by the central and the state governments and will be carried out by the Maharashtra Railway Infrastructure Development Corporation (Maharail) Maharail will be the first corporation to design a railway line to run a semi-high-speed train on a broad gauge route, the minister noted.

The project is expected to be completed in three-and-a-half-year with land acquisition and the train will run at a speed of 200 kmph. The project will not only help in the development of the three districts but also facilitate the transportation of agricultural produce, he said.

For this project, 1,300 hectares of land will be acquired in 101 villages from these three districts. Bhujbal said and informed that farmers whose lands will be acquired for the project will be given proper compensation as per the government decision. Also, a proposal will be submitted to start the Igatpuri-Manmad semi-high speed railway line, he added.

The Pune-Nashik Semi High-Speed Train will start from the new proposed Pune Railway station and it will be going to Hadapsar on an elevated deck, from Hadapsar to Nashik the train will run on the ground and will go up to Nashik Road Railway station. A total of 24 major and minor railway stations will be built on this high-speed rail corridor.