Pune to be crucial node in high-speed rail corridors, techies flag missing Bengaluru link

Welcoming the announcement, MCCIA Director General Prashant Girbane, said, “The high speed rail corridor would slash travel time for both public and goods transport, help in talent movement, and reduce cost of logistics, boosting growth of industries.”

Dr Prashant Khankhoje, strategic energy advisor, MCCIA, said, “High speed rail corridor between Mumbai-Pune would offer an alternative to the existing expressway. This would significantly reduce travel time, boosting automobile, electronics, and other industries in both cities.”

On the Pune-Hyderabad link Khankhoje added, “Both Hyderabad and Pune are major IT hubs, so this high speed rail connectivity would help tech companies grow with faster connectivity and can boost tourism as well, while supporting the rapid urban expansion happening along this economic corridor.”

However, Girbane said industry stakeholders are keen to know more about the project details: “When would it begin, type of train – Bullet train or Vande Bharat Express, how long would it take, and will it be executed on the same rail track or a new one?”

Pune-Bengaluru corridor omission

The exclusion of a Pune-Bengaluru high speed corridor has drawn criticism from IT professionals. The Forum for IT Employees (FITE), Pune, said in a statement, “We welcome the Hyderabad-Pune, Hyderabad-Chennai, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, and Bengaluru-Chennai high speed corridors that have been announced to integrate southern states and major IT hubs. However, we are puzzled by the convenient omission of Pune-Bengaluru from the high-speed rail network.”

“Pune-Bengaluru is one of the highest-traffic IT corridors in India, with thousands of tech professionals frequently travelling for work, projects, startups, and education. A Pune – Bengaluru high speed rail corridor would have connected two major IT capitals, strengthened ties between Maharashtra and Karnataka, boosted growth of western Maharashtra cities such as Pune, Shirwal, Satara, Karad, Kolhapur and supported north Karnataka hubs like Nipani, Belagavi, Hubballi,” FITE said.

The forum added, “As a forum representing IT employees, we support all approved corridors, but urge policymakers to reconsider Pune-Bengaluru, a corridor driven by real workforce movement.”