A proposal to expand the Pune station has been put forth by the Pune Railway Division. The proposal calls for adding four new platforms and providing stoppages for five express trains at stations other than Pune, The Indian Express reported.
These new platforms will be built in the Maldhakka region on Pune railway land, a DRM official of the Pune Division said.
Reducing congestion
To alleviate train detention and congestion at Pune station, the Pune Division has proposed a plan to expand the platforms and accommodate express train halts at four additional stations, as well as at Pune station. If approved, this plan will be incorporated into the station’s remodeling project.
As of now, the Pune Railway station has six platforms and has no scope of expansion. However, Indu Rani Dubey, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Pune Division, said there is enough space in the railway’s Maldhakka area. The Pune Railway Department plans to support this expansion with the construction of pedestrian bridges.
“Once the proposal is approved, we will begin implementing the plan. It has been sent to headquarters and will then be forwarded to the Railway Board,” she said.
She noted that the proposal is separate from the Pune station remodeling plan, but if approved, it will be integrated into the remodeling project. “Till now, it is just a proposal, but there is ample land towards the Mumbai direction at the Railways’ Maldhakka premises. The proposal was passed after a plan was plotted and examined to determine its feasibility,” she added.
Express trains stoppages
The proposal also includes adding stoppages for five express trains—Azad Hind, Jammu Tawi, Jhelum, Sinhagad, and Pragati Express—at the additional stations specified in the plan.
As per the information from the DRM, the Pune station witnesses a daily traffic of around one lakh passengers, which has lead to the initiation of the proposal. “This will decongest the traffic for passengers,” she said. According to the information, trains heading towards Daund will stop at Hadapsar, while those heading towards Mumbai will halt at Shivajinagar, Chinchwad, and Talegaon. This initiative aims to alleviate the inconvenience faced by commuters from both East Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.