Pune: The much-anticipated high-speed rail corridor between Pune and Hyderabad, aimed at drastically reducing travel time, remains stuck on paper due to the lack of approval from the Railway Board of the Central Government. Despite being planned for two years, the project awaits a green signal, prompting state legislators to push for its clearance during the upcoming monsoon session.

Indian High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited's ambitious plan includes eight bullet train routes across the country, with the Mumbai-Nagpur and Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad corridors being key components. This corridor, spanning approximately 711 kilometers, promises to reduce travel time to just three and a half hours.

The proposed route navigates through Lonavala, Dehu, and Saswad within PMRDA's jurisdiction. Initially excluded from the PMRDA's development blueprint, it was later incorporated following a request from the High-Speed Rail Corporation, removing a significant barrier.

However, the route's passage through newly incorporated areas of Pune Municipal Corporation, such as Phursungi and Lohegaon, presents further challenges. The Municipal Corporation's two Town Planning (TP) schemes in Phursungi are under review, and development plans for the remaining villages are ongoing.

The Municipal Corporation has yet to include the rail route in its planning documents. The DPR, although prepared and submitted two years ago after approval from the Municipal Corporation, still awaits clearance from the Railway Board, leaving the project in limbo.

Project Highlights

• Travel Time: 3.5 hours

• Estimated Cost: ₹14,000 crore

• Passenger Capacity: 750

• Speed: 220-350 km/h

• Distance: 711 km

Additional Features

• Ambitious project by Indian High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited

• Route passing through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh

• Limited stops at Pune, Solapur, and Pandharpur

• Dedicated tracks planned for the rail

• Automatic braking system in case of earthquakes

• Immediate earthquake detection and alarm system (UPADAS)

• Combination of elevated and underground sections