Mumbai-Pune Infra Boost: High-Speed Rail, Expressways To Slash Travel Time

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Mumbai-Pune high-speed rail corridor as one of seven new corridors to modernize connectivity and reduce inter-city travel time.
• The "Missing Link" project, a 13.3-km bypass between Khopoli and Kusgaon, is nearing completion, eliminating the Khandala-Lonavala ghat section and reducing travel time by 20-30 minutes.
• NHAI proposes a second 8-lane, 130-km Mumbai-Pune Expressway from Atal Setu to Pune Ring Road, aiming to cut travel time to 90 minutes.
• Plans include widening the existing Mumbai-Pune Expressway from 6 to 10 lanes by 2030 and a 173-km Pune Ring Road to improve highway links and traffic flow.
• Metro Line 8, connecting CSMIA with NMIA, and the Panvel-Karjat suburban rail corridor are set to enhance regional connectivity, easing pressure on road travel between Mumbai and Pune.

Why It Matters: Major infrastructure projects, including high-speed rail and expressways, are set to drastically improve Mumbai-Pune travel.