Railways put a spanner in the works of Pune-Nashik high-speed rail
The high-speed project, if completed, will provide seamless connectivity to the industrial zones of Pune and Nashik such as Hadapsar, Wagholi, Alandi, Chakan, Khed, Manchar, Narayangaon, Sinnar and Satpur
A day after the railways questioned the feasibility of the high-speed rail ‘at-grade’ track between Pune and Nashik to which deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the state government is now proposing a railway-cum-road to connect the two cities, there is widespread shock and criticism amongst politicians and the public.
When Fadnavis met railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav during his Delhi visit on Tuesday, questions were raised about the feasibility of the high-speed ‘at-grade’ track between Pune and Nashik. Thereafter, Fadnavis said that since the high-speed rail project, being executed by Maha Rail, may not be possible on ‘at-grade’ track, the state government now plans to develop rail-cum-road tracks for vehicular traffic between the two cities.
“The railway minister informed us that operating trains at high speed on ‘at-grade’ tracks will be difficult. Hence, I am going to discuss this issue with chief minister Eknath Shinde and a revised proposal of rail-cum-road will be submitted,” Fadnavis said after the meeting with Vaishnav. According to Fadnavis, an ‘at-grade’ track runs parallel to the surface without any elevation or depth, which increases the risk of human beings and animals crossing it.
Whereas Shirur MP Amol Kolhe criticised the move to delay the Pune-Nashik semi high-speed railway, and questioned whether the Union railways ministry was unaware about this for the last many years since giving approval and passing the detailed project report (DPR) for the high-speed rail project.
“I still have hopes that Shinde, Fadnavis and the railway minister will reconsider the project as it is. The project has received almost all the approvals and only the cost needs to be approved by the railway ministry. If the project is reconsidered, it will get further delayed. Already, it has been under discussion for the last two decades. Now when the project has reached the final stage and there has been good response to land acquisition, why are doubts being raised over it?” Kolhe said.
An officer from the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MRIDCL) on condition of anonymity said, “The doubt about animals meeting with accidents is not very valid. All over the world, there are more than 20 high-speed railways which first started on ‘at grade’. The second question is that nearly 200 railway officers checked the technical aspects of the semi high-speed railway and gave it their nod. The Nashik-Pune semi high-speed railway was scrutinised at every level, down to the railways’ financial contribution as well. So why are questions being raised over the project at the final stage?”
A senior official from the Indian Railways and another senior official from the Maha Rail confirmed that prior to being approved, the project went through all the technical stages. “When any project reaches the final stage, all the technical aspects have already been verified. The Pune-Nashik high-speed rail is a good example of ‘Make in India’ and once complete, it will save crores of rupees,” said an officer from Maha Rail.
The 235 km Pune-Nashik railway line will pass through the Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik districts. At a speed of 200 kph, the distance between Pune and Nashik is expected to be covered in one hour-and-45 minutes. The high-speed project, if completed, will provide seamless connectivity to the industrial zones of Pune and Nashik such as Hadapsar, Wagholi, Alandi, Chakan, Khed, Manchar, Narayangaon, Sinnar and Satpur.