Forty-year dream comes true: Beed to Ahilyanagar train flagged off

Criticising the MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray, Fadanvis said, “When the MVA government was in power for two and half years, it did not release the state’s share of 50 per cent for railway projects. It was only after the Mahayuti came to power, the railway projects in Marathwada and Beed got a push in 2022. It was in 2014 when the BJP government came to power, it decided to fullfil the the dream of people in Beed and Gopinath Munde for a railway line. His dream has been finally realised.”

“We are committed to ensuring the development of Marathwada and will ensure there is no shortage of funds. The arrival of train service in Beed signifies a strong push to the development of the district and Marathwada region. It is a moment of joy for people of Beed,” he added.

“Our government will ensure the next generation of Marathwada does not have to face drought. Marathwada will get 36 TMC water from Ujani project. Besides, 54 TMC water will be brought from Ulhas Valley to Godavari Valley and from there it will be brought to Marathwada. We will end the drought situation in Marathwada through different ways. Our government is working for it,” Fadnavis said.

In his speech, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the Beed-Ahilyanagar line would be extended up to Pune and Mumbai. “Work on the project started in 1996 when Suresh Kalmadi was the railway minister. So far, Rs 4,800 crore has been spent on the project,” he said.

Beed MP Bajrang Sonawane demanded a Solapur-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar railway line. In her speech, Munde, daughter of Gopinath Munde, said, “Everyone knows who put in their might to get the railway line on track. Pritam Munde should be given the credit.” MP Rajani Patil and Beed MLAs were also present at the event.

Railway sources said the Beed-Ahliyanagar train service, known as Amalner (B) to Beed new broad guage line, is part of the 261.25-km Ahilyanagar-Beed-Parli Vaijnath new broad gauge line project. “The main objective of the railway project is to improve connectivity and push the industrial development of Marathawada region,” sources said.

The Ahilyanagar-Amalner (B) section, a distance of 67 km, has already been commissioned. The DEMU service is available between New Ashti and Ahliyanagar station.

The plan for a train from Beed to Ahliyanagar (then Ahmednagar) was first pursued by then Beed MP Kesharbai Kshirsagar who had taken up the issue with the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1980. She had subsequently pursued the matter with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narsimha Rao as well.

After she lost the election, BJP leader Gopinath Munde pursued the matter. When he was first elected as MP in 2009, Munde had promised voters that he would conduct his next election campaign on the train.

However, just a week after becoming MP in 2014, Munde passed away. BJP fielded Pritam Munde, daughter of Gopinath Munde, from Beed Lok Sabha seat. Local BJP leaders said 11 Prime Ministers, several railway ministers later and 45 years later, the dream of Beedkars has finally came true.

“For more than four decades, successive Congress governments only made promises but made no provision for railway line nor they showed any intention to push the development of Beed. It was only after Gopinath Munde became the MP, the railway line plan got a push. Our government fast-tracked the project and finally the dream of Beedkars and Gopinath Munde has been realised,” said state BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhaye.

Meanwhile, the Indian Railway announced that it has renamed the Ahmednagar railway station of Pune Division of Central Railway as Ahilyanagar as a tribute to Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar. The decision is in keeping with the decision of the Maharashtra government to rename Ahmednagar as Ahilyanagar. A regular train will run between Beed and Ahilyanagar from September 18 from Monday to Saturday.