Railway finalised revised alignment for ₹16,000-crore Pune–Nashik Semi High-Speed Rail Corridor

New Delhi, India (Metro Rail Today): The long-pending ₹16,000-crore Pune–Nashik high-speed rail project has received fresh momentum after the Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, informed the Lok Sabha that a revised, scientifically safe alignment has been finalised to bypass the sensitive Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) region in Narayangaon.

The project, originally approved “in-principle” by the Ministry of Railways, had faced strong objections from the Department of Science & Technology and the Department of Atomic Energy due to concerns that rail operations near the 30-km GMRT antenna array could disrupt global radio astronomy observations. With the revised route now cleared, the ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to a future-ready and sustainable high-speed link between two major Maharashtra cities.

A Scientifically Safe and Economically Viable Route

Minister Vaishnaw emphasised that the updated alignment was finalised after extensive consultations with scientific bodies and stakeholders. The new route will run through Nashik–Sainagar Shirdi–Puntamba–Nimblak–Ahilyanagar–Pune, passing strategically through the Chakan industrial belt. Officials said the realignment introduces only a marginal increase in travel time while fully safeguarding the GMRT’s radio-quiet operations, one of the world’s premier astronomy facilities.

Several key infrastructure elements along the corridor are already advancing. The detailed project report (DPR) for doubling the Nashik Road–Sainagar Shirdi line has been completed, with ₹240 crore sanctioned for the 17-km Shirdi–Puntamba section. The 80-km Puntamba–Nimblak double line is already operational, and construction is progressing on the 6-km Nimblak–Ahilyanagar stretch. A comprehensive ₹8,970-crore DPR has also been prepared for 133 km of new double lines between Ahilyanagar and Pune via Chakan, strengthening the corridor’s overall feasibility.

A Boost to Tourism and Regional Connectivity

Once operational, the high-speed corridor is expected to become a transformative transport lifeline for Maharashtra. It will connect three of the region’s busiest cultural and pilgrimage hubs—Nashik, Shirdi and Pune—bringing faster mobility for lakhs of devotees and domestic tourists. The route through Chakan will further enhance industrial logistics and regional economic growth.

Welcoming the government’s scientific approach and renewed clarity, Mrs. Mamta Shah, MD & CEO, Urban Infra Group, said: “The revised alignment reflects a balanced and responsible strategy that safeguards world-class scientific assets while enabling critical transport development. The Pune–Nashik high-speed rail link has immense potential to reshape mobility, tourism and economic activity across Maharashtra, and this step brings the project significantly closer to reality.”

With the alignment dispute resolved, the Pune–Nashik high-speed rail corridor is now positioned to move toward detailed planning and execution phases. The project represents one of Maharashtra’s most important intercity mobility initiatives, designed to offer faster, safer and more efficient travel while supporting the state’s long-term economic and urban development goals.