Pune: Thousands of commuters from Daund taluka were left disappointed after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's visit to Pune railway station.
Vaishnaw visited Pune railway station two days ago and made various announcements regarding the station. These included the expansion of the Pune-Lonavala local service and the development of Uruli Kanchan, Hadapsar, Shivajinagar, and Khadki stations. He also announced the construction of a new mega terminal at Uruli Kanchan (Haveli taluka).
A major demand from Daund taluka passengers was for trains currently stopping at Hadapsar station to extend their service to Pune railway station.
The Daund Passenger Association had requested a meeting with Vaishnaw to discuss this, but the railway administration denied the request. This led to disappointment among many representatives of the Daund Passenger Association who had come to Pune.
Although a mega terminal at Uruli Kanchan would benefit the railway administration, the association demanded the resumption of services stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic and reinstating stops for some trains at Khutbav, Kadethan, and Manjari stations.
Regular commuters like Suresh Tadge expressed their frustration, noting the need for a Daund-Pune local service due to increased passenger numbers.
Currently, many trains stop at Hadapsar instead of Pune, forcing passengers to take risky auto-rickshaw rides from Hadapsar to their destinations.
Dilip Holkar, Secretary of the Passenger Association, highlighted the dangers of traveling on the Pune-Solapur highway due to the lack of convenient train services and urged the administration to reconsider stopping all trains at Pune instead of Hadapsar.
