PUNE: Commuters at Hadapsar railway station are facing major inconvenience despite the presence of a foot-overbridge (FOB) as the FOB is located on one side of the station, forcing commuters to risk their lives by crossing the railway tracks from the middle of the station to save on time. And with the recent launch of the Hadapsar-Varanasi Amrit Bharat Express, passenger rush has increased considerably, highlighting the urgent need for additional FOB access, escalators, lifts, and better Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus connectivity from key parts of Pune.
Kailash P, a regular commuter, highlighted the safety concerns at the station and demanded immediate improvements in infrastructure. “Passengers at Hadapsar railway station are facing severe inconvenience. Many commuters are being forced to cross railway tracks risking their lives as proper accessibility facilities are lacking. There is an urgent need for FOBs, lifts and escalators at the station. If a train suddenly arrives on the main line while passengers are crossing, it could lead to a major accident. Bus services are also inadequate and passengers should get direct bus connectivity from Hadapsar station to various parts of the city,” he said.
Hadapsar station was originally developed as a satellite terminal to ease pressure on Pune railway station, with nearly ₹100 crore invested in its development. Notwithstanding, the station infrastructure had not been expanded significantly till now. The addition of a fourth platform marks the first major expansion of the station’s platform capacity. The station now has three platforms, and the new platform will increase operational flexibility and improve train handling capacity.
While Sandeep Koparde criticised the planning of railway terminals without proper last-mile connectivity. “Building a railway terminus in the middle of nowhere, without any public transport, seems to be Indian Railways’ speciality. We have seen similar situations at SMVT in Bengaluru and Charlapalli in Hyderabad, and now the same issue is emerging at Hadapsar in Pune,” he said.
Another commuter, Vaibhav Potdar, stressed the need for improved PMPML connectivity and additional feeder bus services for the station. “We need more small buses operating from Hadapsar railway station. New routes such as Pune station to Hadapsar Gadital via Hadapsar railway station, Wagholi to Pune station via Hadapsar station, and Hinjawadi phase 3 to Hadapsar station should be started to improve accessibility for passengers,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Hemantkumar Behera, spokesperson for the Pune railway division, said that passenger safety remains a top priority and commuters should avoid crossing railway tracks. “There is already an FOB available at Hadapsar railway station and passengers should not risk their lives by crossing the railway tracks from the middle of the station. We have written to and are in talks with the PMPML administration to increase the frequency of buses and improve connectivity to more destinations across the city,” he said.
Meanwhile, a senior PMPML official on condition of anonymity admitted that the public transport utility is currently facing a shortage of buses. “At present, we do not have enough buses to increase frequency on existing routes as the PMPML has to cater to Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and the PMR (Pune Metropolitan Region). However, once new buses are inducted into the fleet, we will soon increase bus frequency and connectivity for Hadapsar railway station,” the official said.
