Passengers travelling between the Vidarbha region and western Maharashtra are set to face significant travel hurdles later this month. Central Railway has announced a series of major traffic and power blocks on the busy Daund–Manmad section to facilitate critical infrastructure upgrades, leading to widespread cancellations of key train services.
Schedule of the Mega Railway Block
The disruption stems from essential work related to a doubling project between Daund and Kashti stations. The Pune division of Central Railway has scheduled extensive pre-non interlocking (Pre-NI) activities from January 4 to January 23. This will be followed by complete non-interlocking (NI) operations on January 24 and 25 for the final commissioning phase.
List of Affected Trains and Cancellations
As a direct consequence of this mega block, railway authorities have been forced to cancel at least nine crucial trains linking Vidarbha with Pune and other parts of western Maharashtra on various dates. The impact will be most severe on January 24 and 25.
The cancellations will severely hit the Nagpur-Pune corridor, one of the busiest rail routes in the country. Specific cancellations include:
- The Pune-Nagpur Garib Rath Express scheduled for January 24.
- The Nagpur-Pune Garib Rath Express scheduled for January 25.
- The Nagpur-Pune Express on January 24.
Premium travel services will also be affected. Both the Pune-Ajni Humsafar Express and the return Ajni-Pune Humsafar Express stand cancelled for two full days on January 24 and 25.
For Amravati passengers, the Pune-Amravati Express is cancelled on January 24 and 25. The Amravati-Pune Express faces cancellation on January 23 and 25. In a separate notice, the Amravati-Pune Express (train number 12119) and the Ajni-Pune Express (12120) are also cancelled for January 24 and 25.
Railway's Appeal and Long-Term Benefits
Central Railway has acknowledged the inconvenience caused to the travelling public. Officials have appealed to passengers to plan their journeys carefully and check the status of their trains before heading to the station.
The railway administration emphasizes that this temporary disruption is necessary for a vital cause. The work is aimed at improving line capacity and boosting operational efficiency on the heavily utilized Daund-Manmad corridor. Once completed, the doubling project is expected to lead to smoother and more reliable rail services in the future.
Commuters, especially those travelling between Vidarbha, Marathwada, and western Maharashtra during this period, are advised to seek alternative arrangements or reschedule their plans to avoid last-minute hassles.
