The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday has announced a new alignment for the proposed Pune–Nashik high-speed rail corridor, aimed at strengthening connectivity between two of Maharashtra’s key economic and cultural hubs. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the details in response to suggestions raised in the Lok Sabha regarding the project.

The earlier proposed route via Narayangaon, passing near the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), was deemed unfeasible by the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Atomic Energy, as railway operations could interfere with the observatory’s international research.