Pune Railway Station's Passenger Holding Area Plan Adjusted After New Directive

Pune: The authorities may have to review the Pune station redevelopment plan, after railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw issued a directive to build permanent passenger holding areas at 76 stations before the festive season next year. Six stations under the Central Railway — Pune, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Nagpur, Nashik Road, and Dadar — are set to have these permanent holding areas by the next festive season.

The Pune rail authorities were planning to develop the permanent holding area as part of the station's redevelopment plan. However, the new directive from the railway minister has necessitated a change in strategy. Railway officials stated that they would have to reassess their plans in light of the new directive.

Hemant Kumar Behera, the divisional commercial manager and PRO of the division, said, “The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has been entrusted with the task of building permanent holding areas. Their team will now come and have discussions with senior officials of the division. At this moment, it will be difficult to say where the passenger holding area will come up.”

Another railway official added, “As per directions, the holding areas will have a modular design. These will be constructed considering the local conditions.” The Pune railway station is spread over approximately 22 acres, and the redevelopment plan has proposed to increase this to 36 acres. Despite the space issue at the station, planning will be done to accommodate the new holding areas.

During the festive time (Diwali and Chhath), a temporary passenger holding area is created on the Pune station premises. This holding area has been a success, with more than 600,000 passengers having already traveled on special trains from Pune. The success of the temporary holding area has highlighted the need for a permanent solution to manage the high volume of passengers during peak travel times.

The new directive from the railway minister is part of a broader initiative to improve passenger facilities and ensure a smoother travel experience during the festive season. The RLDA will work closely with the Pune railway authorities to finalize the plans and ensure the timely completion of the permanent holding areas.