Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting to change the alignment of Mumbai-Hyderabad High Speed Rail Corridor (HSR) via Jalna-Nanded instead of Pune and has suggested a new HSR route between Pune and Aurangabad.
Mr. Thackeray pointed out that the State will accommodate the Mumbai-Nagpur HSR within the Right of Way (RoW) of the under construction Samruddhi expressway between the two cities.
The Chief Minister in his letter added that if that happens, the proposed Mumbai-Hyderabad HSR can be planned via-Jalna, which stands on the expressway. “GoM have already approved an expressway between Jalna and Nanded. Further, NHAI have already planned an expressway from Nanded to Hyderabad. If the same logic of accommodating the HSR within the RoW of an expressway is applied, as is proposed by the HSR between Nagpur and Mumbai, the Mumbai-Hyderabad HSR can also be planned along Mumbai-Nanded Expressway via Jalna and further within the RoW of proposed expressway between Nanded and Hyderabad,” the letter said.
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The central government has proposed development of Nagpur-Nasik-Mumbai and Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad HSR corridors in Maharashtra for which National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has been entrusted to undertake final location survey, feasibility study and DPR of the proposed corridors.
On March 15, 2021, NHSRCL presented alignment study to Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation which is executing the Nagpur-Mumbai Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg which is an access controlled greenfield expressway project of 701 km in length with 120 metre-wide Right of Way (RoW).
While suggesting to plan the Mumbai-Hyderabad HSR via-Jalna instead of Pune, the Chief Minister has pitched for an HSR route between Pune and Aurangabad.
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‘Anchor of auto industry’
“It should be noted that Mumbai-Nagpur connects Mumbai-Nashik-Aurangabad. Mumbai-Hyderabad present alignment connects Mumbai to Pune on HSR route. GoM have planned a semi-HSR between Pune and Nashik. A HSR connectivity between Pune and Aurangabad will complete that quadrilateral which is the most important industrial corridor and the Pune-Nashik-Aurangabad triangle is already an anchor of auto industry in the State,” he said.