Pune Junction vs. CSTM: Contrasting Realities at Railway Gateways
Sudhir Mehta
Pune, 18th December 2023: One glaring example that vividly illustrates the lack of political will and leadership in Pune, emphasizing how the city is treated as the step-sister to Mumbai, is the stark difference between CSTM and PUNE JN Railway Stations
Both serve as gateways into the city. While there’s room for improvement at CSTM, Pune Junction is a chaotic mess. Even after disembarking from a modern and truly world-class train like the VandeBharat, senior citizens and differently-abled individuals are forced to navigate almost 250 meters, hauling their luggage through garbage, muck, and a sea of people who have turned the entire area into their home and business space, just to reach a decent Ola/Uber pick-up point. On-site rickshawalas are shamelessly extorting money from tired and aged citizens willing to pay any price to get home.
In contrast, at CSTM, a taxi stand just outside the platform gates, managed by traffic police constables, operates seamlessly, with taxis on meter, and no one is denied service.
It’s disheartening and aggravating to experience complete apathy for something as basic as the main railway junction that serves millions of citizens each year.
(About the author: Dr. Sudhir Mehta is the Chairman of Pinnacle Industries and ekamobility. He is the past president of MCCIA and the Lead of Pune Platform for Collaborative Response. He tweets at @sudhirmehtapune)
