Discarding originally planned HST route Mumbai-Pune (150-175kms) and inlieu of this, going for Mumbai-Nashik-NGP (about 850kms) HST line appears surprising.
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AHM-MUM-Pune was supposed to be first HST route as per study conducted by Japanese Rly experts based on traffic & economic feasibility. But Mum-Pune section was dropped due to higher construction costs involved in crossing mountainous terrain of Bhor ghats and only Mum-Ahm was considered.
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Construction of Mum-Nashik route shall also be a equally costly due to crossing of equally tough Thull Ghat. Mum-NK/NGP traffic is lesser than Mum-Pune and the HST line cost shall be about 4-5 times Mumbai-Pune route. Techno-economics totally favour Pune route. Looks like CM's home city getting undue priority over the much more deserving but ill fated Pune. Pune has already suffered a lot in the case of Metro train.
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CMs push may lead to study of the route but the project economics shall no be favourable and project is most likely to remain on paper. On the other hand pursuing for Pune route is more likely to give concrete results.