Pune-Nashik railway corridor: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has confirmed that the realignment of the Pune-Nashik railway project is near completion. Work on the high-speed corridor will start after receiving approval from the Maharashtra Government. The original alignment has raised concerns among the scientific community as it is passed through a sensitive zone near a major radio astronomy facility.
Earlier the route of the railway line crossed a 15-km restricted area around the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at Khodad village, roughly about 60 km from Pune. Scientists feared that the train movement could impact the GMRT’s observations, which depend on identifying faint radio signals from space.
While speaking on the concern, Vaishnaw stated, ”The GMRT holds great scientific significance and was built with support from 23 countries. The earlier alignment could have affected its operations, so a new route is prepared to avoid any such interference.”
The GMRT located nearly 80 km from Pune is equipped with 30 massive antennas, each of them 45 meters in diameter, and functions in the 150-1420 MHz frequency range. It is run by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), which operates under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
Vaishnaw also shared updates for Pune railway station. He highlighted the city’s historical and industrial value, he said the station will be transformed into a world-class facility and will get four new platforms for handling increased traffic and for boosting passenger experience.
The announcement has come after the minister launched two new express trains-the MGR Chennai Central-Bhagat Ki Kothi Express and the Hadapsar-Jodhpur Express from Hadapsar station.
The Railway Minister also mentioned that redevelopment plans for six stations namely Alandi, Pune, Khadki, Uruli Kanchan and Shivajinagar are in final stages. Moreover, discussions are ongoing with Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis related to the launch of a Vande Bharat train service between Nagpur and Pune.
(With inputs from PTI)