Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni has brought attention to the pressing railway connectivity issues faced by Pune, a significant industrial, educational, and IT hub in Maharashtra. In a recent session, she highlighted the lack of direct high-speed train services, such as Rajdhani, Vande Bharat, or Tejas, connecting Pune to major metropolitan cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad. This absence poses challenges for businessmen, industrialists, students, and general passengers.
Currently, trains between Pune and New Delhi cover approximately 1,550 kilometers, taking around 25 to 28 hours. The absence of a direct Rajdhani Express necessitates passengers to travel via Mumbai, increasing both time and cost. Kulkarni emphasized the need for high-speed trains on this route.
She also pointed out the lack of direct train services between Pune and Nashik, leading travelers to detour through Mumbai, further escalating travel time and expenses. Direct rail connectivity between these cities would benefit sectors like IT, automobile, agriculture, and tourism.
Additionally, Kulkarni addressed the inconvenience faced by thousands of devotees from Pune traveling to religious destinations such as Vaishno Devi, Tirupati, Char Dham, Kashi, Rameswaram, and Shirdi due to the lack of regular pilgrimage trains. She advocated for special trains under the ‘Bharat Gaurav Train Scheme’ to these spiritual sites.
In her appeal to the Railway Minister, Kulkarni proposed Operating the New Delhi-Bengaluru and New Delhi-Hyderabad Rajdhani trains via Pune, either daily or thrice a week. Initiating direct train services between Pune and Nashik promptly. Launching special trains from Pune to major pilgrimage centers under the ‘Bharat Gaurav Train Scheme’.
Kulkarni emphasized that enhancing Pune’s rail connectivity is crucial not only for passenger convenience but also for boosting economic development, trade, tourism, and cultural exchange in the region.
