Maharashtra: Govt sanctions new suburban corridor between Pune, Lonavala

The 64km suburban rail stretch between Pune and Lonavala is in for a massive infrastructure push with the Maharashtra government sanctioning a parallel dedicated suburban line with complete station makeovers and commuterfriendly facilitiesAccording to a blueprint accessed by midday the new alignment will run on the Up side of the existing line with a speed potential of 110 kmph and automatic signalling A total of 17 stations will be covered including key junctions like Talegaon TGN Chinchwad CCH and Shivajinagar SVJR in addition to the existing PuneLonavala main line a senior official from the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation MRVC which has made the designs saidBridges FOBs and ROBsThe project includes two new rail bridges two road bridges and 117 minor bridges Ten roadoverbridges ROBs already exist but four of them will need rebuilding or modification as per the new line alignment All 16 level crossings will be eliminated replaced by road overbridges or road underbridgesTushar Shinde member Smart City Advisory Committee right Anand Panase member Pimpri Chinchwad Citizens ForumCommuters will see big changes in accessibility mdash 15 existing FOBs foot overbridges are also set for modification while seven brand new FOBs will be added at stations like Khadki Talegaon and Shivajinagar Three midsection FOBs are also plannedrdquo the official addedOther detailsLand acquisition to the tune of 69 hectares has been earmarked To support the expanded operation the plan provides for 297 residential quarters across categories and dedicated offices for engineering electrical signalling and mechanical wings besides an RRI Route Relay Interlocking control buildingWith LonavalaPune locals already running packed the new line mdash essentially an independent suburban corridor mdash is expected to give a huge breather to lakhs of daily commuters ldquoA fourth line in addition to the existing ones will finally separate suburban traffic from longdistance trains Delays crossings and congestion on this key stretch should come down significantlyrdquo another senior railway official confirmedPresent servicesThere are approximately 42 suburban local trains running daily between Pune and Lonavala with a total of 17 suburban trains operating on the PuneLonavala route ldquoFor Pune and PimpriChinchwad commuters who often struggle to even enter coaches during peak hours this could be the gamechanger they have been waiting forrdquo he addedVoices from PuneThe state governmentrsquos decision to extend the PuneLonavala third and fourth railway line has been welcomed by commuters and citizen representatives many of whom have been raising this demand for decadesFor the Panase family from NigdiPradhikaran this development carries special significance The late Krishna Vittal Panase who served in the Central Railwayrsquos sales and marketing department between 1968 and 1980 had first submitted a proposal to the Central government highlighting the future need for additional lines on the PuneLonavala route However his efforts went unheard at that timeHis son Anand Panase continued the pursuit after his fatherrsquos retirement making several followups with local leaders and former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu Despite pushing for nearly a decade he only received assurances and eventually had to pause his effortsSpeaking to midday Anand Panase said ldquoIt is a good thing that the government has finally realised the importance of the third and fourth line My only request is that they should strictly adhere to the deadline for completing the work The number of PuneLonavala commuters has multiplied and during the pandemic when local services were reduced students and workers suffered a lotrdquo Panase also a member of the Pimpri Chinchwad Citizens Forum added that the forum had repeatedly raised transport concerns of the twin cities with authoritiesTushar Shinde member Smart City Advisory Committee also welcomed the decision saying ldquoThis is a very positive move for Pune PimpriChinchwad and Lonavala residents What is important now is swift execution Several highrise projects are coming up along the MumbaiPune highway The third and fourth railway lines were necessary to cater to this growing population Thousands of students travel daily to Talegaon Naval and Lonavala for education and many cannot afford high travel costsrdquo