17 June,2026 09:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also said redevelopment work at 132 railway stations across Maharashtra is progressing rapidly. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Pune railway station and its surrounding rail infrastructure will undergo a major upgrade with projects worth around Rs 600 crore, including yard remodelling works, six new platforms and a new station entry point, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Wednesday.
The announcement was made during a function at Pune railway station where foundation stones were laid for Pune Yard Remodelling and other railway infrastructure projects. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis joined the event through video-conferencing.
Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnaw said Pune, with a population of over 70 lakh and a steadily growing number of railway passengers, requires a mega terminal to meet future demand.
He said the planned works include yard remodelling at Pune station, construction of six new platforms in addition to the extension of six existing platforms, development of a new entry point to the station, terminals at Alandi, and coaching maintenance facilities at Ghorpadi.
According to the minister, these projects will significantly enhance the station's capacity and enable the operation of 20 additional train services from Pune.
Vaishnaw also said redevelopment work at 132 railway stations across Maharashtra is progressing rapidly. These include Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Pune, Hadapsar, Kolhapur, Satara, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Nashik Road, and Nagpur.
Highlighting the challenges of railway infrastructure development in India, he said most projects are executed without disrupting existing train services, unlike in several countries where operations are suspended during major upgrades.
The Railway Minister also announced that the route for the Pune-Nashik Road railway line has been finalised. He further said a new train service between Mumbai and Nanded would be introduced and that Maharashtra would soon get a Vande Bharat Sleeper train.
Looking ahead, Vaishnaw said high-speed rail projects would dramatically reduce travel time between major cities. He said the proposed bullet train network could bring Pune and Mumbai within 48 minutes of each other, while travel between Pune and Hyderabad could be completed in just over two hours.
He added that operations on the first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project are expected to commence in 2027.
Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, MLC Vivek Kolhe and senior railway officials were present at the event.
