Maharashtra Approves Additional Railway Lines on Pune-Lonavala Route

Pune MP and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, Murlidhar Mohol, announced that the long-pending demand for additional railway lines between Pune and Lonavala has finally received approval from the Maharashtra government.

The project, which includes the construction of a third and fourth railway line on the busy Pune–Lonavala route, was cleared in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The decision comes as a major relief for thousands of daily commuters and will significantly improve suburban rail connectivity in the region.

Mohol said that the demand had been raised repeatedly and pursued with both the Centre and the state. While the Union government had already given a positive nod earlier, the state’s approval has now cleared the way for the project to move ahead. The cost will be shared equally by the Centre and the state.

Highlighting his discussions with CM Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Mohol expressed confidence that the next steps will be taken quickly and work will begin soon.

The new lines are expected to ease congestion caused by freight trains, allow more suburban services, and improve the speed of express trains. This will benefit office-goers, students, industries, and businesses in the Pune–Mumbai corridor. Reduced road traffic pressure is also seen as one of the major advantages of this expansion.

Mohol thanked CM Devendra Fadnavis and the state government, calling the approval a big step forward for Pune’s railway infrastructure. He also pointed out that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, railway modernization and network expansion have been carried out at a rapid pace across the country, and the Pune–Lonavala development is part of this larger effort.