Hadapsar Rail Terminus to come up in 40-acre land in Pune

Hadapsar Rail Terminus to come up in 40-acre land in Pune

Pune: The administration of the Central Railway Pune division is working on a proposal to construct a separate railway terminus in Hadapsar to operate long-distance trains. As per the primary study, the terminus would require about 40-acre land, said S K Sood, General Manager of the Central Railway.

“The proposal is moving ahead at a slow pace due to various factors. Availability of land for the terminus is the most crucial one. We have to work it out with the state government. Once we are sure about the availability of the land, the administration will discuss other factors like engineering, passenger amenities and planning of tracks,” he said.

The proposal has been under consideration of the Pune division for the last two years. Once built, the terminus would decentralize the rail operation and reduce the burden on Pune station. At present, more than 150 trains operate from Pune station every day. There is not much space to operate additional trains. As per the railway administration, long-distance trains originating from Pune to destinations in the northern states can operate from the proposed Hadapsar terminus.

Sood said the administration has also proposed construction of two additional foot overbridges (FOBs) at the Pune station, of which one which will connect platform numbers one and three. The construction of the small FOB will be completed in the next four months. The work on the other FOB, which will have landings at both ends outside the station, will take more than a year to complete.

“Over 104 rail overbridges (ROBs) are due to be built by the Central Railway. These bridges are particularly meant for vehicular traffic, an alternative for vehicles which otherwise use railway crossings to cross tracks. Of these, proposals for 15 ROBs are with the state government. Work will start after we receive a final nod,” he said.

Sood further said the administration has taken steps to appoint counsellors at all unmanned level crossings to create awareness on how to cross railway tracks safely. “The signal system between Pune and Lonavla will also be improved to accommodate more local trains,” he added.

Sood inspected various passenger amenities at Pune station and also checked the speed limits of train running between Salpa and Daundaj stations