Decade-Long Demand for Pune-Daund Suburban Status Rejected by Railway Board
Reported by Amit Singh
Pune, 11th June 2025: The long-standing demand to declare the Pune-Daund railway section as a suburban corridor has been rejected by the Railway Board, as confirmed in a official communication to the Central Railway’s Pune Division. The proposal, which was under consideration for several years, aimed to provide relief to tens of thousands of daily commuters. However, the Board has stated that the Competent Authority has not agreed to the request.
According to official communication received by Pune Division from the Railway Board, “The matter has been examined in the Board and the declaration of the Pune-Daund section as a suburban section has not been agreed to by the Competent Authority.” The Board further instructed the Division to inform all stakeholders who had submitted representations and supported the demand at various levels over time.
The proposal had garnered widespread support from various quarters including local Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), Members of Parliament (MPs), Rail Users’ Unions, student groups, traders’ associations, political representatives, and daily commuters. The Central Railway headquarters had earlier forwarded the proposal to the Railway Board for approval, highlighting the growing commuter load and aging infrastructure on the route.
The Pune-Daund corridor currently serves an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 daily passengers comprising students, traders, private sector employees, and laborers. Many of them travel from towns and villages like Daund, Patas, Kedgaon, Khutbav, Yavat, Uruli, Loni, Manjari, and Hadapsar to Pune for work, education, and other essential needs.
The existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains operating on the section have become outdated and are reportedly prone to frequent mechanical breakdowns. These disruptions have caused repeated delays, affecting punctuality and reliability for regular passengers. Reports from the field suggest that breakdowns and reduced frequency of services have become a routine concern, prompting renewed calls for suburban service status.
Key employment and education hubs along the Pune-Daund route include Hadapsar’s IT zone at Magarpatta, the Serum Institute at Manjari, the MIT educational campus at Loni, Prayag Dham at Uruli, Yavat’s sugar factories, Kurkumbh industrial estate, and offices in Pune city. Commuters have repeatedly stressed that improved and electrified local train services would enhance connectivity to these high-traffic zones.
The Railway Passengers’ Association and other advocacy groups have consistently demanded the inclusion of the section under the suburban railway network, which would allow for increased frequency of trains, the introduction of Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) services, and concessionary fare structures typically available under suburban operations.
With the Railway Board’s decision, the proposal now stands officially declined. The Pune Division has been instructed to inform all concerned stakeholders, including public representatives and citizens’ groups who have followed up on the issue over the past decade.
