In a recent development, the Railway Board issued a notification on 21.02.24, incorporating Daund Junction into the Pune Railway Division of the Central Railway Zone. This move also led to a reduction in ticket fares between Pune and Daund. However, the long-standing demand for Suburban Local services on the Pune-Daund route remains unfulfilled, leaving daily commuters in limbo.
Abhishek Sonavale, Station Consultative Committee (SCC) Member at Kedgaon Station, expressed his concerns, stating that despite positive steps such as the inclusion of Daund Junction and fare reductions, the absence of Suburban Local services continues to inconvenience the 40 to 50 thousand daily passengers, including students, traders, and private labor employees.
Pramod Ubale, Executive President of Pune Gramin Railway Pravasi Group, highlighted the persistent demand for Suburban EMU services over the past three decades. Despite completing electrification between Pune and Daund in 2017, no Suburban EMU services are operational on this route. Commuters are forced to rely on DEMU/MEMU shuttles with limited frequency.
Sonavale shared that inquiries about the lack of Suburban EMU services on this route receive a consistent response from the Railway Administration: a proposal to declare Pune-Daund as a Suburban Section has been sent to the Railway Board but awaits approval. Once approved, Suburban EMU services will commence.
Despite appeals from local representatives, Rail Users Union, political parties, students, traders, and passengers, the proposal to declare Pune-Daund as a Suburban Section is yet to receive approval. Even after continuous efforts by Baramati Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule and Daund MLA Adv Rahul Subhash Kul, there has been no tangible progress on this critical issue.
