Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar left out of new railway plans

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

It has once again become evident that Marathwada, particularly Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, continues to face neglect in the policy decisions of the South Central Railway. The Railway Board announced the regularisation of 27 trains and the extension of 2 others making a total of 29 services on April 1. However, not a single new train has been announced for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in this list.

According to the list issued by the Railway Board on April 1, 2026, several special trains have been regularised. The focus has largely been on regions such as Secunderabad, Kacheguda, Tirupati, and Visakhapatnam. While cities like Nanded and Jalna in Marathwada have received some relief, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar considered the tourism capital and a key historical centre has once again been overlooked. Not a single new train has been introduced for the city in the entire list.

Anger is also mounting as the city’s pit line project has been stalled for the past two and a half years, with authorities citing technical reasons.

Pit line project delayed

Even after nearly two and a half years, the pit line in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar continues to face delays on one pretext or another. Starting new train services is crucial for the city from industrial, commercial, and tourism perspectives. The pit line should be made operational at the earliest, and train services to cities such as Nagpur, Bengaluru, Goa–Kerala, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ayodhya, and Gorakhpur must be started immediately.

— Swanand Solanke, Member, Marathwada Railway Action Committee