Railway minister gives nod to new Mumbai-Pune railway line with gentler slopes to reduce travel time

Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw recently gave green signal to a new railway line between Mumbai and Pune. The new alignment with gentler slopes, will reduce travel time between the two cities while making the journey smoother.

For the first time in 160 years, a plan for a new rail alignment between Mumbai and Pune to bypass the existing steep ghats and 28 tunnels received the go-ahead last weekend. Calling it the simpler inclines of 1/100 ‘Sreedharan grade,’ Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has asked Central Railway to work on it expeditiously. The minister took a ride onboard a three-coach special inspection train with a halt at Lonavala and examined the process of navigating ghats and the operation of banker locomotives.

The proposal features a 1:100 gradient or degree to which the track departs from level ground. This new alignment – called ‘Sreedharan grade’ after ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan who is largely credited with changing the face of public transport in India through his leadership in the Delhi Metro – is expected to simplify the current steep gradient and reduce travel time significantly.

Earlier on July 20, union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had visited the ghat section and directed officials to expedite the project after reviewing it. His inspection trip, which included a stopover at Lonavala, allowed him to personally assess the difficulties posed by the current alignment including the need for banker locomotives to assist trains in navigating steep sections.

Officials said that the new route will make the journey between Mumbai and Pune smoother, potentially saving commuters travel time and allowing additional trains to run on this busy stretch. While the alignment plan is still in its preliminary stages and requires formalisation with actual measurements and figures, its completion promises to enhance travel efficiency and connectivity between the two cities.

Swapnil Neela, CR chief public relations officer, said, “This new alignment is expected to enhance the efficiency and safety of rail travel between Mumbai and Pune, potentially reducing travel time and operational costs. The new rail alignment between Mumbai and Pune, featuring a gentler gradient of 1:100, aims to eliminate the need for banker locomotives that are currently essential for navigating the steep gradients of Bhor and Thal ghat.”

These banker locomotives push trains uphill and control them downhill and are required due to the current gradient of 1:37. “This new alignment will not only streamline operations but also potentially speed up travel time between the two cities,” Neela said.

Currently, only two trains namely the Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat and Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) Rajdhani Express are capable of traversing these ghats without banker locomotives with the latter having engines at both ends. Railways minister Vaishnaw’s approval of the new alignment comes after two years of detailed planning and inspection and aims to create a long-term solution that enhances connectivity between Mumbai and Pune.

“The new rail alignment from Karjat to Talegaon will be a significant improvement over the existing route. This double-electrified line, despite adding a 20 km detour, is expected to be faster because it will remove the need for the time-consuming process of attaching and detaching banker locomotives. This, along with the more manageable gradient, will reduce delays and speed restrictions,” Neela added.