Railway Ministry approves Pune-Nashik Semi High-Speed Rail Corridor

Pune, India (Urban Transport News): The Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MRIDC) has received approval from the Ministry of Railways for implementing the 231-km long Pune-Nashik Semi High-Speed Rail corridor. The estimated cost of this broad gauge double line railway corridor is pegged at Rs 16,039 crore.

"This semi-high-speed double line will provide direct connectivity between Pune and Nashik and the journey between the two cities will be completed in less than two hours. MRIDC has planned and designed to run the Pune-Nashik broad gauge rail line with the commercial speed of 200km/h with future increment up to 250 km/hr," said in the press statement released by MRIDC on Thursday.

The approval received from the Railway Ministry is paving the way for connecting the two key industrial cities of Maharashtra that will give a boost to the fast movement of goods and people.

"This project will not only attract goods trains but also high-speed passenger trains. (Once completed) The travel time from Pune to Nashik will be completed in 1 hour and 45 minutes," said Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal, Managing Director at MRIDC.

"MRIDC has also planned to develop private freight terminal (PFT), dry port, multimodal and commercial hub, warehouses and sidings at locations suggested by local industries," he added. In the statement, it has been said that as the Pune-Nashik belt has a large number of industries, the project will open a new source of revenue for them by fast-track movements of cargo as important MIDC areas like Chakan, Sinnar and Satpur will be directly connected by this rail line.

According to the revised detailed project report (DPR), the Pune-Nashik Semi High-Speed Rail line will pass through three districts of Maharashtra - Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik - providing seamless connectivity to industrial zones of Pune and Nashik such as Alandi, Chakan, Khed, Manchar, Narayangaon, Sinnar and Satpur. Once necessary approvals are granted from the Government of Maharashtra, the project is estimated to be completed in 1,200 days from the date of financial closure.