Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday inaugurated the much anticipated Pune-Sainagar Shirdi Express, a new daily train service that will make traveling from Pune to Shirdi easier, faster and more convenient for thousands of passengers.
The launch is an important step for devotees who want to visit the famous Sai Baba temple in Shirdi and for tourists, families and senior citizens who are looking for a quick and cheap way to travel. This train reduces travel time significantly and no trains are connected for the journey which takes approximately 6 hours and 15 min.
While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the ceremony via video conferencing, Ashwini Vaishnaw attended the event in person along with Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, MLC Vivek Kolhe, and senior railway officials.
A Major Relief for Sai Devotees
The new Pune–Sainagar Shirdi Express will operate daily and travel through Daund, Shrigonda, Ahilyanagar, Rahuri and Belapur before reaching Shirdi.
The direct service will be appreciated by millions of Sai Baba devotees who travel daily between Pune and Shirdi. Up to now so many passengers had to use buses, private vehicles or indirect train lines. The new train is a comfortable, cheap and fast alternative.
The service is the fulfillment of a long-pending demand, said Murlidhar Mohol, the union minister. He said the train would not only increase travel convenience but also enhance religious tourism, local businesses and economic development in Pune and Ahilyanagar.
Pune Railway Station Set for Massive Upgrade
The inauguration of the new train was accompanied by another big announcement. Ashwini Vaishnaw laid the foundation stone for a yard remodelling project at Pune Railway Station as part of a wider railway infrastructure expansion plan.
As the Railway Minister said, Pune’s growing population of more than 70 lakh people has created the need for a modern railway hub capable of handling increasing passenger traffic.
Flagged off the Pune–Sainagar Shirdi daily train service, along with Maharashtra CM Shri @Dev_Fadnavis Ji. It is the first direct train connecting Pune and Shirdi.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 17, 2026
It will provide affordable and comfortable travel for devotees visiting the Saibaba Temple.
📍Pune, Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/F7RceJYUBJ
The railway ministry is going to invest nearly ₹600 crore in projects which include the construction of six new platforms, expansion of the existing six platforms, a new station entry point, a terminal at Alandi and a coaching maintenance depot at Ghorpadi.
These upgrades will increase operational capacity significantly and allow around 20 more train services to originate from Pune in the future.
Maharashtra Receiving Massive Railway Investment
Vaishnaw, speaking to the media, said that Maharashtra is currently experiencing railway investment worth nearly ₹2 lakh crore.
He also mentioned plans for better freight connectivity between the major ports JNPT and Vadhvan and Vidarbha and Marathwada through the Samruddhi Mahamarg. The proposed connectivity projects are expected to reduce logistics costs and stimulate industrial growth in the state.
Additionally, redevelopment work is ongoing at 132 railway stations in Maharashtra, including Pune, Hadapsar, Kolhapur, Satara, Nashik Road, Nagpur, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
Looking Towards the Future
Vaishnaw also outlined an ambitious vision for high-speed rail connectivity in Maharashtra. The travel time between Pune and Mumbai could be reduced to 48 minutes once bullet trains are in place, and the Pune–Hyderabad trip could take only 2 hours and 8 minutes.
The first operational part of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project will start in 2027, and will bring the most important cities closer to each other and strengthen economic integration in Western India.
But for now the emphasis is on the newly launched Pune–Shirdi Express. With the new connectivity, better passenger comfort and rising railway investments there is more than one way it can be put into place in Maharashtra's rapidly growing transportation network.
