Mumbai to be connected to Pune and Nagpur via high speed corridors
MRIDC, a joint venture between the railway ministry and the Maharashtra government, is constructing a semi-high-speed train route between Mumbai and Pune that could cut travel time between the two cities in half.
The ridership survey for the 753 km Mumbai-Nagpur high-speed corridor project has been completed by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is building the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train corridor.
According to a senior NHSRCL official, for the Mumbai and Nagpur projects, a detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared.
The alignment is being finalised, and social and environmental impact assessments are still being completed, he said.
The amount of time it takes to travel between the two cities will be cut in half. The quickest time to travel between Mumbai and Nagpur is currently 11.30 hours. A feasibility study has been launched for the Mumbai-Pune corridor.
Following the feasibility study, an assessment of the land acquisition requirements will be completed, and the project will then be submitted for approval to the Maharashtra government and the railway ministry.
If the project is approved, the time it takes to travel between Mumbai and Pune will be cut to 90 minutes. Outstation trains operated by the Central Railway currently take three hours to reach Pune from Mumbai.
Former railway officers believe that proper land acquisition is required and that the Western Ghats will make it difficult to build a semi-high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Pune.
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