Demand For Hourly Pune-Mumbai Trains Grows Amid Frequent Traffic Jams On Expressway

Traffic jams on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway have become a daily occurrence. It becomes worse on weekends when the number of commuters increases. To avoid this, many X (formerly Twitter) users are demanding hourly trains between the two cities.

Sudhir Mehta, former president, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture, wrote, "To ensure the expressway remains congestion-free and is used optimally, the Indian Railways should start hourly shuttle services between #Pune and #Mumbai. The demand is evident, with thousands of citizens commuting for work or recreation daily." "Most global twin cities have benefited significantly from such shuttle services, and implementing this in India's top economic corridor will have long-term benefits and impacts," he added.

Many users agreed with Mehta's views.

A user commented, "This is a critical need. We have been asking about this for a long time... I think the key (where no real action has happened) is increasing track capacity. We need to widen the existing Pune - Mumbai rail corridor, and also develop new dedicated corridors (for RRTS, freight, etc.)"

"Hourly intercity express trains are required between Mumbai and Pune. Nowadays the journey by road to and from Mumbai and Pune has become unsafe and uncomfortable. Travelling by train to and from Mumbai and Pune is the better option to avoid traffic jam and speed restrictions," wrote another user.

Check out the comments below:

Currently, there are limited trains that run between Pune and Mumbai. Sahyadri Express, Pragati Express, Deccan Express, Mahalaxmi Express, and Intercity Express are some of the options.