Pune-Nashik Semi high-speed Rail corridor by 2024

MAHARASTRA (Metro Rail News): Maharashtra Railway Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) Seeking Approval from Railway board and Govt. of Maharashtra for Pune-Nashik semi high-speed train service, which aims to reduce the travel time between the two towns of Maharastra, will become a reality by 2024. Currently, the travel time among the two cities is around five hours.

Past week, the Central Railway gave its approval for the revised detailed project report (DPR) prepared by MRIDC. The agency will now ask approval from the Railway Board and Maharashtra government to begin work on the 231.716-kilometre double line.

The Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (MRIDC also called MahaRail), a joint venture of the Maharashtra government and Ministry of Railways on 50:50 basis, will be executing the project.

The proposed train running speed will be 200 kmph and stop at a total of 24 stations — eight primary and sixteen small ones — crossing through the three districts of Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik.
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“The DPR for the ‘Greenfield Semi High-Speed Double Line Railway Network’ has received approval on February 10 from Central Railway. Now we are seeking formal approval from the state govt to start the construction between Pune and Nashik. Once, the approvals are granted by respective authorities, the project is estimated to be completed in 1,200 days from the date of financial closure,” Said MRIDC official.

The complete cost of the project has been pegged at about Rs 16,039 crore, of which Rs 3,208 crore is to be developed by both state and central govt’s, and the remaining cost will be borrowed from national and international agencies. The project will require the acquisition of about 1,300 hectares of land. Throughout the path of the route, the broadway double line will pass through 20 tunnels, which will have to be constructed.

“The semi-high speed trains will complete the Pune-Nashik journey within two hours. MRIDC has envisaged the coaching configuration of six rakes with a carrying capacity of 450 passengers per train… a total number of 48 trips made by six rakes in a day, for the initial phase, has been planned,” said an official.

The project target is to reduce the travel time between two rapidly growing cities of Maharashtra significantly along with act as a catalyst for the growth of the industrial corridor along the way by providing seamless connectivity to the industrial zones of Pune and Nashik such as Alandi, Chakan, Khed, Manchar, Narayangaon, Sinnar and Satpur.

“Apart from these MIDC areas, the proposed line will cater to another important special economic zone (SEZ), in Khed, Narayangaon and Manchar. This project will also benefit tourism and pilgrimage sites located on the Pune-Nashik corridor,” the official said.

This will be the first low-cost, semi high-speed railway corridor in the country. The project will also have other parts such as container depots along the rail corridor, a private freight terminal, dry port, a multimodel and commercial hub and warehouses at places suggested by local industries.