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4mo ago

Railways Finalise Pune–Nashik Route Via Shirdi, Keeping GMRT Zone Clear

Railway officials detailed section-wise DPRs, funding approvals, completed doublings, next steps under Gati Shakti.

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The ministry of railways had earlier given an “in-principle” approval to the project that would cut through the GMRT array of parabolic antennas across 30 km in a radio-quiet region in Pune district’s Narayangaon area. (HT)
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Overview

  • In a Lok Sabha statement, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the revised alignment has been finalised to protect the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope’s radio-quiet zone.
  • The route will run Nashik → Sainagar Shirdi → Puntamba → Nimblak → Ahilyanagar → Pune via the Chakan industrial belt.
  • Project milestones include a completed DPR for Nashik Road–Sainagar Shirdi, ₹240 crore sanctioned for the 17 km Shirdi–Puntamba doubling, completed doubling on the 80 km Puntamba–Nimblak section, work underway on the 6 km Nimblak–Ahilyanagar stretch, and a DPR for 133 km of new double lines between Ahilyanagar and Pune at an estimated ₹8,970 crore.
  • Officials said the realignment adds only a marginal difference in travel time, with the corridor expected to bolster pilgrimage and heritage travel as well as freight efficiency for Chakan and MSME supply chains.
  • A multi-stakeholder committee will guide further decisions and regional development planning, with integration into the Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti multimodal connectivity agenda.