The Pune-Nashik high-speed rail project, which has been given in-principle approval from the Centre, is set to boost development and employment generation in the Golden Triangle of Maharashtra.
It would also greatly help in tourism as Nashik is the pilgrimage capital while Pune is the cultural capital of the state.
The Golden Triangle comprises the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) which includes the twin districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban and neighbouring districts of Palghar, Thane and Raigad and the areas of Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik.
Railway Minister Ashwani Kumar accorded the in-principle approval after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the Finance Minister, called on him in New Delhi on Sunday.
“The Railway Minister has given in-principle approval to the Pune-Nashik high-speed rail project. This will boost development in both the cities and seamless connectivity to the industrial zones of Pune and Nashik,” Fadnavis said.
“Pune and Nashik are two very important cities in Maharashtra. It has a unique heritage and culture. Economically too, both cities are very important for the state. Giving the finest connectivity to both cities is one of our biggest attempts,” said Kumar.
After a technical appraisal, the project would go before the Cabinet.
The Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MRIDC or MahaRail), a joint venture of the Government of Maharashtra and the Ministry of Railways on a 50:50 basis, will be implementing the project.
The cost of the project is expected to be over Rs 16,000 crore.
The Greenfield project is very crucial for the further development for the Mumbai-Pune-Nashik region, which contributes significantly to the nation's economy.
The total length of this project is 235.15 km with 24 stations being planned by MRIDC. It is proposed that there will be eight major stations and 16 minor stations for passenger traffic.
It will take two hours to complete the journey for passengers which is much higher by road depending on the traffic.
The 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.
The project will open a new revenue stream for industries by fast-tracking cargo movement by Railways as important MIDC areas such as Chakan, and Sinnar Satpur will be directly connected by this railway line.
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 provide benefits to tourism and pilgrimage in Pune–Nashik corridors like Shirdi Sai Temple, Trimbakeshwar Temple and Bhimashankar Temple, Alandi. The Nashik-Pune belt, on the Sahyadri Ranges of the Western Ghats, has a green cover and a lot of people go there for adventure and enjoy nature and ecotourism. The region has several places of geological and archaeological importance.
The MRIDC also has plans to develop a Private Freight Terminal (PFT), dry port, multimodal and commercial hubs, warehouses and sidings at locations suggested by the local industries.