Mumbai-Pune new railway route to avoid Ghat section
Pune: Central Railway (CR) is implementing unconventional measures to make the Mumbai-Pune journey hassle-free. It has proposed to construct 72-km Karjat to Talegaon and 62-km Karjat to Kamshet stretches.
The new route will do away with Lonavala. Moreover, the express train speed will be doubled. As many as 10 new trains could be introduced on the new routes.
The existing Mumbai-Pune railway route passes through Lonavala-Khandala Ghat section. An express train has a speed limit of 60 kmph in the Ghat section for passengers’ safety. The new route will not have the Ghat section. Thus, an express train can travel at 110 kmph. The proposal to construct the two new routes is ready. Work will begin on one route after its approval, said railway officials.
Gradient (steepness) in the Ghat section will be reduced to 1.100 on the 72-km Karjat-Talegaon route. The current stretch of Lonavala Ghat will be made 1.37 gradient to do away with the additional engine used on the stretch. The distance between Karjat and Talegaon is 57 km. It will increase to 72 km for the new route. The existing Karjat to Kamshet distance is 44 km, which will increase to 62 km. The distance will increase due to detours around hills.
A mega terminus will be built in the Panvel area while the Kalyan yard is being remodelled. New platforms will be constructed at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT). Space will be available to run 10 new express trains from Panvel, Kalyan and LTT stations to Pune. Trains are departing from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at their capacity. Therefore, a new terminus will be built.
The number of passengers travelling between Pune and Mumbai is incrasing daily. The distance between the two cities is 192 km while 44 trains run between them. As many as 23 trains run daily while the remaining trains run weekly, fortnightly and tri-weekly.
An additional engine (banker) is used before and after climbing the Ghat section. The process takes 15-20 minutes. This process will be avoided on the new route. It will save time for passengers, stated the proposal.
The new route will be built in four years. The Karjat to Talegaon stretch will const Rs 16,000 crore while the Karjat to Kamshet route is estimated to cost Rs 10,200 crore.
