Pune Pre-non-interlocking and non-interlocking works will be undertaken at the Pune and Hadapsar yards for the construction of a third railway line between Hadapsar and Ghorpadi Coach Maintenance Complex (GCMC) for which purpose phased traffic blocks will be imposed from September 19 to October 4, affecting mail/express, DEMU, and local train services operating through the Pune division. With some of the blocks coinciding with Ganeshotsav, passengers are likely to face inconvenience, particularly due to cancellations, diversions and changes in train schedules.
The blocks are expected to have a significant impact on train operations. Several important train services operating on routes such as Pune-Solapur, Pune-Nagpur, Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Howrah will be affected by the blocks. Hence, passengers travelling during the period of the blocks are advised to check the latest train schedules before beginning their journey and make arrangements accordingly. The third railway line between Hadapsar and GCMC is expected to improve railway infrastructure in the Pune division and increase the capacity of the network in future. However, the scale and timing of the construction work imply that passengers will have to put up with operational disruptions during Ganeshotsav.
As per the railway plan, a block will be imposed daily on both the up and down main lines between Pune and Hadapsar from September 19 to 23, between noon and 5 pm. Beginning September 24, the duration of the block will be gradually reduced in phases to facilitate the ongoing construction and associated railway works. On October 3, traffic blocks will be imposed at the Hadapsar yard in two phases – from 8 am to noon, and from noon to 4 pm. A major portion of the work will be carried out on October 4, with a traffic block between Hadapsar and GCMC from midnight till 10.30 am. This will be followed by another block from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm for signalling and telecommunications-related works. A total of 42 mail/express and passenger trains will be cancelled, affecting 98 trips. The routes of 25 trains will be diverted, affecting another 36 trips. In addition, 35 trains will be short-terminated or short-originated at stations other than their scheduled destinations or starting points, respectively, affecting 99 trips. Besides cancellations and diversions, the operations of 22 trains involving 71 trips will be regulated, while the timings of 14 trains involving 25 trips will be changed.
The railway is expected to issue information regarding cancellations, diversions, regulated services, short-termination and revised timings so that passengers can plan their travel during the festival period.
