Pune - The Pune-Mumbai railway line’s remote Monkey Hill station in the Khandala Ghat section will now be connected by road. To ensure that emergency assistance and heavy machinery can reach the site quickly in the event of landslides or accidents during the monsoon, the railway administration will construct a 1.5-km concrete road from the Mumbai-Pune Expressway to the station. Currently, trains are the only means of transport to reach the site.
According to the railways, the approximately 19-20 km railway stretch between Palsadhari and Khandala in the Bhor Ghat passes through dense forests and deep valleys. Currently, there is no proper road connectivity along this stretch. As a result, Thakurwadi, Nagnath, Jamlung and Monkey Hill stations can be accessed only through the railway tracks. Reaching these locations with emergency assistance, particularly during the monsoon when landslides occur, is often extremely difficult and time-consuming. In the absence of road connectivity, rescue and relief teams have to rely solely on the railway route.
To permanently address this difficulty, the railway has proposed constructing the new road. Since the area falls under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department, the railway administration has submitted a proposal seeking the department’s approval.
The Monkey Hill area falls under the jurisdiction of both the Pune and Alibag forest divisions. Once the necessary approvals are received, the railway plans to begin construction after the monsoon, aiming to complete the road by December this year.
{{/usCountry}}The Monkey Hill area falls under the jurisdiction of both the Pune and Alibag forest divisions. Once the necessary approvals are received, the railway plans to begin construction after the monsoon, aiming to complete the road by December this year.
{{/usCountry}}“Landslides on the tracks or the washing away of soil beneath the tracks often occur. In such emergency situations, a road route will provide a faster and safer means of reaching the affected location,” said Swapnil Neela, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway.
According to railway officials, the concrete road will be constructed from the Khandala-bound carriageway of the expressway up to Monkey Hill station. It will be designed to allow emergency vehicles, ambulances and rescue teams to reach the station directly. The project is expected to cost around ₹1.5 crore to ₹2 crore.
At present, a road proposal has been prepared only for Monkey Hill. However, keeping future requirements in mind, the railway is also conducting a feasibility study using Google Earth and other technical tools to explore road connectivity to the intermediate stations of Thakurwadi, Nagnath and Jambung.