Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday (August 7) and had a detailed discussion on the overall railway development in Nashik Lok Sabha constituency.
In this, emphasis was placed on building large-scale railway infrastructure, passenger facilities, regional connectivity, religious tourism and industrial growth in the backdrop of the upcoming 2027 Kumbh Mela.
In this meeting, an outline of 12 important long-term projects for Nashik was presented, keeping the 2027 Kumbh Mela in view. Railway Minister Vaishnaw assured to examine all the proposals seriously and take action at the earliest.
Nashik is unfairly treated
MP Rajabhau Waje said, "There is a constant feeling of injustice towards Nashik residents regarding railways. We have followed up on this issue many times in the last year. This is at least the tenth meeting with the minister in the last year. During this tenure, at least 12 projects such as the Nashik-Pune railway project, Manmad to Mumbai fourth and fifth railway lines, Kasara tunnel, and expansion of Nashik Road railway station are underway. We have demanded that Minister Vaishnaw speed up these works. We also demanded that the works be approved on time and the works start in the backdrop of the Kumbh Mela."
Major demands and proposals
MP Waje submitted several concrete proposals to the Railway Minister. The main demands included:
New Railway Services: Demand for starting two new railway services, namely Sambhajinagar-Nashik-Ratnagiri-Goa and Shirdi-Ahmedabad (via Manmad-Nashik).
Industrial Connectivity: Suggestions for changing the routes of some existing trains for direct connection to the important industrial and commercial route Manmad-Nashik-Pune.
Safety: Need for urgent construction of new flyovers (road over bridges) at Igatpuri and Shinwad Khurd.
Religious Tourism: Emphasising the importance of starting direct railway services to Nashik-Pandharpur 'Ekadashi Express' and other major pilgrimage sites.
Passenger Services: Demand for providing alternative services for Nashik-Mumbai morning passengers while maintaining the schedule of Vande Bharat Express, running Panchavati and Rajya Rani Express on time, as well as starting new services like Amravati-Mumbai Superfast Express.
Compensation for farmers: Demand for compensation at fair and market price as per the 2013 law to the farmers affected by the Manmad-Jalgaon Third Railway Line Project.
Halt of Duronto Express: Proposal to give halt to Mumbai-Kolkata Duronto Express at Nashik Road as per the demand of the local Bengali community.
Complete works before Kumbh Mela: Demand for removing technical obstacles at Kasara Ghat and starting local trains to Nashik, especially before the 2027 Kumbh Mela.
