Pune, 21st September 2026: Land acquisition has begun for the construction of the third and fourth railway lines between Manjari station in Pune and Wadi via Solapur. The ₹16,000-crore project is part of the railway expansion planned under the National Rail Plan (NRP) and is aimed at increasing capacity on one of the important railway routes in Maharashtra.
Around 92 acres of land in Pune and 530 acres in Solapur are being acquired for the project. The additional tracks are expected to allow trains to operate at speeds of up to 160 kmph, while creating more capacity for both passenger and freight services.
According to the current proposal, the new lines will accommodate around 32 passenger trains and more than 40 freight trains.
The expansion is expected to improve train movement between Pune, Solapur and Wadi by providing dedicated capacity for additional services.
The Pune-Solapur-Wadi route currently has two railway lines. More than 100 passenger trains operate on the route every day, while around 60 freight trains run between Solapur and Wadi. Heavy freight movement, particularly coal transportation, often affects the movement of passenger trains.
Large NTPC projects at Hotgi and Kudgi generate significant demand for coal transportation. As a result, several freight trains carrying coal operate on the Solapur-Wadi section.
The additional railway lines are expected to reduce the pressure on the existing tracks and allow passenger and freight trains to move with fewer operational constraints.
The third and fourth lines will begin from Manjari station, around 412 km from Wadi, and will run alongside the existing up line towards Pune. The new lines will continue through the Pune-Daund-Kurduwadi section.
Near Solapur, the alignment will bypass the city instead of passing through Solapur railway station. The two new lines will be connected near Tilati station, allowing trains to bypass the existing Solapur station route when required.
The estimated construction cost is around ₹39.40 crore per kilometre, while the cost per track kilometre is about ₹16.76 crore. Excluding land acquisition, the cost is estimated at around ₹12.87 crore per track kilometre.
The cost of acquiring land has increased the overall project expenditure. The railway expansion is being taken up as part of the National Rail Plan, which aims to strengthen capacity on key railway corridors by 2030.
With two additional tracks, trains will have more space to operate without depending heavily on the existing two lines. Passenger trains are expected to face fewer delays caused by crossings and waiting on loop lines at smaller stations.
The additional capacity will also allow the Railways to introduce more services as passenger demand grows. Faster movement and fewer operational stoppages are expected to reduce travel time between Pune, Solapur and Wadi.