Pune, 6th June 2026: Thousands of passengers travelling between Nagpur and Pune are facing persistent delays on trains operating on the Howrah–Pune route. The issue has become a major concern for commuters, with several services regularly running many hours behind schedule and disrupting travel plans.
One such passenger, Jatin Kale, was travelling from Nagpur to Pune for an important business meeting when the Azad Hind Express arrived nearly 11 hours late. As a result, he missed the meeting and faced considerable inconvenience. His experience highlights the difficulties encountered by many travellers using this route.
The rail corridor is widely used by passengers from Nagpur, Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, and Shegaon. The Azad Hind Express operates daily, while the Duronto Express and Humsafar Express run twice a week. According to passengers, delays of six to eight hours have become common over the past two years, with some trains arriving even later.
Frequent delays are affecting interviews, examinations, business meetings, and other important commitments. Although railway authorities have cited track maintenance and operational challenges as reasons for the disruptions, passengers are increasingly demanding a long-term solution to the problem.
Many travellers book tickets without being aware of the recurring delays and are often forced to alter their schedules at the last minute. This has prompted some passengers to choose alternative train services for travel between Nagpur and Pune.
There are also growing calls for the railway administration to provide advance information about expected delays during the reservation process.
Passenger Yogita Jamkhedkar expressed her frustration over the situation. “I booked the Azad Hind Express because its timing was convenient for travelling from Nagpur to Pune. However, the train itself reached Nagpur nearly ten hours late, resulting in a huge loss of time and a delayed arrival in Pune. Will the railway administration compensate passengers for such losses?” she said.
Responding to the concerns, Hemant Kumar Behra, Public Relations Officer of the Pune Railway Division, said, “We have arranged a scratch rake for the Azad Hind Express to reduce the impact of delays. However, it is not possible to make similar arrangements for all trains. Many of these services enter the Pune Division already running late, which in turn delays their departure from Pune.”