Pune: The hope of having a local train service between Pune and Daund, akin to the Lonavala-Pune local, is fading for residents of Daund. Despite the completion of the electrification process in 2016, the much-awaited local train has yet to materialize.

Commuter Requests:

• Immediate launch of a local train service.

• Designate Daund as a suburb of Pune.

• Extend the 6:15 AM DEMU from Hadapsar to Pune.

• Reinstate the trains canceled during the pandemic.

• Introduce two new trains between Daund and Pune from 8:20 AM to 5 PM.

The Pune-Daund rail route is capable of supporting speeds of up to 130 km/h, but due to technical limitations with the existing diesel DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit), the train currently operates at a maximum speed of 70 km/h, taking around 1 hour and 45 minutes to cover the 74-km journey.

Long-distance trains have been given priority on this route, with new express trains being launched to other states in the last eight years. Meanwhile, local services discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic remain suspended, leading to growing frustration among daily commuters.

One of the primary complaints is the 6:00 AM DEMU train from Daund, which stops at Hadapsar station, five kilometers short of Pune, forcing passengers to arrange alternate transport.

This results in delays and additional costs for office-goers, students, and traders. The train has only 8-10 compartments and lacks separate coaches for women, the disabled, and first-class passengers, causing overcrowding.

Frequent halts to let express trains pass only add to the inconvenience. Despite regular appeals from public representatives to the central government and visits by railway officials, including Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve, and MP Supriya Sule, commuters’ grievances remain unresolved, and they continue to wait for the promised local train service.

One retired commuter, Madhavrao Tule, who worked for the central government, summed up the frustration: "For 40 years, I commuted between Pune and Daund, constantly being promised a local train service. I retired in 2019 but never got the chance to benefit from the local train."