Aurangabad: A team of senior railway officials is scheduled to begin its field survey for the proposed 120-km rail line between Aurangabad and Ahmednagar from Sunday.
The crucial exercise, which is expected to be completed by March 6, will see officials visiting Aurangabad city, Gangapur taluka in Aurangabad district, Nevasa and Shani Shingnapur in Ahmednagar district and Manmad in Nashik district among other locations.
“The survey team is required to establish contact with the divisional railway officials, district collector offices, local agricultural produce market committees, bus depots, railway station officials and transport operators to collect the necessary data to study the trends and pattern of existing traffic and prospect of traffic generation,” S C Jain, the deputy chief operations manager of Central Railway, said in an official communication with competent authorities.
Anant Borkar, president of the advocacy group Marathwada Railway Action Committee, said the proposed rail route has tremendous potential not only for passenger traffic but also freight transport. “Aurangabad and Jalna are two major industrial hubs in Maharashtra, which can offer target freight carrying for Indian Railways. Besides, the route witnesses huge passenger traffic as it further connects to Pune. It is up to the government authorities and public representatives to present necessary facts and data before the survey team,” he said.
Rajya Sabha member Bhagwat Karad, who had raised the demand for the rail route, said, “Upon our request, Union railway minister Piyush Goyal has expedited the necessary formalities, including completion of a traffic survey. As regards to further route from Ahmednagar to Pune, the railway ministry is expected to take an official decision soon,” he said.
Currently, there is no direct rail connectivity from Aurangabad and Ahmednagar to Pune except going via Manmad, which requires additional time and money.
Notably, Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure DevelopmentCorporation (MRIDC) Limited, a joint venture of the state government and the railway ministry, had given a go-ahead for the rail route from Aurangabad to Pune via Ahmednagar in November last year. It had ordered various checks, including the traffic survey.
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