Pune-Nashik rail work to start in February, says Patil

The proposal of laying a high speed railway track between Pune and Nashik is finally moving ahead. The Maharashtra Railway Infrastructure Development Limited( MRIDL) is all set to start work related to construction by February 2019, according to Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, Member of Parliament, Shirur. He has been following the developments with regard to the railway track closely since 2005.

Addressing a press conference in Pune on Monday, Patil said,“MRIDL is working on this project on priority basis.The laying of railway track is likely to start by February 2019.This high speed railway will save travel time by two hours.It will be used not only by passengers but also for transporting agricultural and industrial goods.”

The new line with a length of 231 km will be connect the two fastest growing cities in the state. The Central Railway has sanctioned the project with an estimated cost of Rs 7500 crore and project is expected to be completed in 2022.

Sharing details about this project, Patil said,” In September 2018, Railway Ministry and the state government formed MRIDL as a special purpose vehicle to expedite the delayed proposal in the state. For the project, Rs 1500 crore will be raised by both state and central government and the remaining amount will be raised by borrowing money from the banking industry. High speed railway will run with the speed of 220 km per hour.”

The new railway lane requires at least 1,300 hectares of land from Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik district. As per the proposal, the 231-km track will have 21 stations.

Quick facts

Length of railway line - 231.716 km

Land required - 1,300 ha

Number of stations - 21

Tunnels - 12

Project cost Rs 7500 crore

First Published: Dec 18, 2018 15:49 IST