VINOD BHAT
Mumbai, 10 December:
Indian Railways has undertaken a comprehensive expansion of passenger services, high-speed connectivity, and infrastructure development across Maharashtra, significantly strengthening the State’s railway network and enhancing travel convenience for millions of passengers. Alongside the introduction and extension of premium train services, substantial progress has been made in station redevelopment, signalling upgrades, track doubling, gauge conversion, and other capacity enhancement projects, reflecting a clear commitment to modernising rail infrastructure in the region.
To improve long-distance connectivity, several premium train services, including Rajdhani, Duronto, Sampark Kranti, Humsafar, Antyodaya, and Vande Bharat Express, have been introduced or extended to major cities such as Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Solapur, and other important centres. These trains provide faster, safer, and more comfortable travel options, supporting the growing passenger demand and contributing to regional economic development.
The allocation of funds for infrastructure and safety works in Maharashtra has witnessed unprecedented growth over the years. Budgetary support has increased more than twentyfold, rising from ₹1,171 crore per year during 2009–14 to ₹23,778 crore in 2025–26, reflecting Indian Railways’ renewed focus on expansion and modernization. This enhanced funding has facilitated faster project execution, commissioning of new lines, and implementation of advanced signalling and safety technologies.
The pace of commissioning new railway lines has also increased sharply. Between 2009–14, a total of 292 km of new lines were commissioned (58.4 km per year), while during 2014–25, 2,292 km of new lines were added (208.4 km per year), representing more than a threefold increase in the rate of network expansion.
As of 1 April 2025, a total of 38 railway projects spanning 5,098 km, including 11 New Lines, 2 Gauge Conversions, and 25 Doubling or Multi-tracking works, have been sanctioned in Maharashtra at an estimated cost of ₹89,780 crore. Of these, 2,360 km of railway lines have been commissioned up to March 2025, with cumulative expenditure reaching ₹39,407 crore.
Several major projects have recently been completed, enhancing network capacity and connectivity across the State. These include the Pune–Miraj–Londa Doubling (467 km) costing ₹4,670 crore, Manmad–Jalgaon 3rd Line (160 km) at ₹2,574 crore, Jabalpur–Gondia Gauge Conversion (300 km) at ₹2,005 crore, Chhindwara–Nagpur Gauge Conversion (150 km) at ₹1,512 crore, Panvel–Pen Doubling (35 km) at ₹263 crore, Pen–Roha Doubling (40 km) at ₹330 crore, Udhna–Jalgaon Doubling (307 km) at ₹2,448 crore, Mudkhed–Parbhani Doubling (81 km) at ₹673 crore, Bhusawal–Jalgaon 3rd Line (24 km) at ₹325 crore, Jalgaon–Bhusawal 4th Line (24 km) at ₹261 crore, and Daund–Gulbarga Doubling (225 km) at ₹3,182 crore.
In addition to completed projects, several important New Line, Doubling, and Multi-tracking works are currently under execution across Maharashtra. These include the Ahilyanagar–Beed–Parli Vaijnath New Line (261 km) costing ₹4,957 crore, Baramati–Lonand New Line (64 km) at ₹1,844 crore, Wardha–Nanded New Line (284 km) at ₹3,445 crore, Indore–Manmad New Line (360 km) at ₹18,529 crore, Wadsa–Gadchiroli New Line (52 km) at ₹1,886 crore, and Jalna–Jalgaon New Line (174 km) at ₹5,804 crore. Capacity-enhancement projects such as Daund–Manmad Doubling (236 km) at ₹3,037 crore, Kalyan–Kasara 3rd Line (68 km) at ₹1,433 crore, Wardha–Nagpur 3rd & 4th Lines (over ₹1,800 crore), Itarsi–Nagpur 3rd Line (280 km) at ₹2,450 crore, Rajnandgaon–Nagpur 3rd Line (228 km) at ₹3,545 crore, Jalgaon–Manmad 4th Line (160 km) at ₹2,574 crore, and Bhusawal–Khandwa 3rd & 4th Lines (131 km) at ₹3,285 crore are also progressing as scheduled.
During 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, and the current financial year, Indian Railways has sanctioned 98 new surveys, covering a total length of 8,603 km across Maharashtra. These include 29 New Line surveys, 2 Gauge Conversion surveys, and 67 Doubling surveys. Railway projects are sanctioned on a Zonal Railway-wise basis, rather than State-wise, because many railway alignments extend across multiple States. Project sanctioning takes into account anticipated traffic and economic viability, saturation of existing corridors, filling missing links, providing alternate routes, first and last-mile connectivity, operational feasibility, socio-economic benefits, funding availability, and demands from State Governments and public representatives.
Project completion timelines depend on several factors, including land acquisition by State Governments, forest and environmental clearances, shifting of utilities, statutory approvals, geological and topographical conditions, law and order situations, and the number of workable months in specific project regions.
The expansion of railway infrastructure and high-speed services is part of Indian Railways’ broader strategy to provide modern, safe, and efficient transport solutions for citizens while supporting the economic and industrial growth of Maharashtra.
