Prateek Goswami, General Manager of Central Railway, conducted an extensive safety inspection of the Daund-Lonavala section across Pune Division on Saturday, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to transforming Pune into a major railway hub with a budgetary allocation of Rs 23,926 crore for high-speed rail infrastructure.
The inspection covered railway infrastructure, beginning at Daund with a briefing at the Crew Lobby and inspection of the Electronic Interlocking (EI) Building. Goswami commissioned several facilities including a basic training centre, solar panel installation, and electric loco shed at Daund, alongside the traction sub-station and a testing van.
The inspection route extended through Kedgaon, where he commissioned a gang hut and track machine rest house, followed by a speed trial on the Kedgaon-Uruli section. He examined level crossing at gate number 7 between Uruli-Loni and curve number one on the UP main line between Loni-Hadapsar, besides inspecting multiple turnouts and long-welded rails at Hadapsar station.
At Pune station, Goswami reviewed the Divisional Railway Hospital, ongoing station development works, Pune yard remodelling, crew lobby and running room facilities. The inspection also covered Sangam Bridge, and the Railway Colony at Chinchwad.
Digital push for cleanliness
A highlight of the visit was the launch of the Mechanised Coach and Premise Cleaning (MCC) App, a digital platform developed specifically for Pune Division to monitor and report cleaning activities across railway coaches and premises in real-time.
“Pune Division had been facing challenges such as lack of real-time verification of contractor work, inconsistent manual records, disputes during audits, and difficulty in establishing cleaning quality during inspections. The new app will now have time-stamped field data directly from supervisors and maintain complete digital audit trails,” said a railway official.
The platform replaces manual registers and paper-based processes with digital workflows, automated scorecards, dashboards, and reports, aligned with the objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission and Swachh Railways.
Development plans
Speaking at a press conference, Goswami highlighted Pune’s strategic importance in the railway network. “Pune has been an important focal point in terms of connectivity and the government is also recognising it, with the new high-speed rail corridors announced recently in the Union Budget 2026-27, and an outlay of around Rs 24,000 crore.”
He revealed that Pune will be connected to two bullet train routes, though surveys for the network are still underway. “The plan workout is underway for the bullet train network. We would declare the timeline of the implementation of the high-speed rail corridor as it gets finalised,” he said.
“Apart from the bullet train surveys, we are developing the entire Pune area, Hadapsar, Khadki, and Pune station itself, and attempting to run a maximum number of trains. The development work is being monitored at the highest level with priority so as to complete the work in stipulated time,” Goswami added.
Commenting about the funding, he assured that budget constraints were not an issue. “We have no problem with the budget and will get it whenever we demand.”
Station decongestion
Rajesh Kumar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, Pune, explained the strategy to decongest Pune station. “We are now reducing the pressure on Pune station by developing Khadki and Hadapsar stations and then would be able to do Pune yard remodelling.”
Officials also provided updates on other ongoing projects. Work on the Ahilyanagar-Parli section is progressing, with 200 km completed from Ahilyanagar to Parbhani. Work on the next 61 km is underway, with land transfer from the state government being the primary requirement. “As soon as the land transfer is completed, the work will be completed in two to three months,” officials said.
In preparation for the Nashik Kumbh Mela, railway authorities are developing both Shirdi and Pune stations to handle the expected surge in passengers.
During the inspection, Goswami interacted with ground-level staff and branch officers, reiterating the need for strict adherence to safety protocols, efficient train operations, punctuality and maintenance standards. He praised innovative safety practices and presided over demonstrations, including one by the dog squad, and inaugurated an Android app for cleanliness feedback.
Senior officials including CPRO Swapnil Nila and officers from central railway headquarters and Pune division accompanied the General Manager during the inspection.
Central Railway General Manager Prateek Goswami during the safety inspection at Hadapsar station on Saturday. 
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