Pune: MP Barne Reviews Chinchwad, Akurdi, Dehu Road, Talegaon Stations Upgrades Under Amrit Bharat; Urges Timely Completion
Reported by Amit Singh
Chinchwad, 15 May 2025: Maval MP Shrirang Barne has instructed railway officials to expedite the ongoing redevelopment works at Chinchwad, Akurdi, Dehu Road, and Talegaon Dabhade railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. During a site visit on Thursday, Barne emphasized the need to maintain quality and complete all projects within the stipulated deadline of December.
Barne reviewed the progress of work and interacted with passengers to understand their issues. He briefed commuters about the developments taking place under the improvement project. Present during the inspection were Pune Division’s Additional Divisional Railway Manager Padmasinh Jadhav, Chief Project Prevention Gati Shakti Unit Sanjay Lohatre, Senior Divisional Engineer Vijay Kumar Rai, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer Parag Aknurkar, and Senior Divisional Commercial Manager A.K. Pathak.
As per project details, Talegaon Dabhade station has received Rs 40.34 crore, Dehu Road Rs 8.05 crore, Akurdi Rs 33.83 crore, and Chinchwad Rs 20.44 crore for redevelopment. Facilities such as meeting rooms, lifts, parking, and station beautification are part of the upgrades.
Barne pointed out certain deficiencies in the ongoing work and called for immediate rectifications. He stressed the importance of completing the projects without compromising quality standards.
During his visit, Barne also raised the issue of reinstating the 1:30 pm local train from Pune to Lonavala and extending the Sahyadri Express service to Mumbai. He said that these demands have been submitted to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who has responded positively.
The Kolhapur–Mumbai Sahyadri Express service, suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, has yet to be restored. In its place, a special train is currently operating between Kolhapur and Pune on the Sahyadri Express schedule. However, passengers are being charged fares equivalent to the Kolhapur–Mumbai Mahalaxmi Express, leading to dissatisfaction among travelers.
ADRM Padmasinh Jadhav stated, “The Indian Railways has redevelopment work of 20 stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in the Pune Division under process. Few of them are completed and will be fully operational soon. The scheme includes a wide range of improvements such as better accessibility, waiting areas, toilets, lifts, escalators, information systems, executive lounges, business meeting spaces, landscaping, Divyangjan-friendly facilities, and sustainable design implementations.”
He added that the railways are committed to addressing passenger-centric issues on priority and that all concerns raised during the visit will be reviewed thoroughly.
