Dadar–Solapur section

Dadar–Solapur section is part of the Mumbai–Chennai line. It connects Dadar and Solapur both in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Dadar–Solapur section
Pune Junction, an important railway station on Dadar–Solapur section
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Maharashtra
Termini	Dadar Solapur
Service
Type	Indian Railways Station
Services	Mumbai–Chennai line
Operator(s)	Central Railway
Depot(s)	Kalyan, Badlapur, Pune, Lonavla
Rolling stock	WDM-2, WDM-3A, WDM-3D, WDG-3A and WDG-4 diesel locos. WCAM-2, WCAM-3, WCAG-1, WAG-5, WAG-7, WAG-9 and WCM-6 electric locos.
History
Opened	1860
Technical
Track length	Main line:446 km (277 mi) Branch lines: Kurduvadi-Latur 153 km (95 mi) Kurduvadi-Miraj 190 km (118 mi)
Number of tracks	2/1
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	Main line: 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead lines
Operating speed	Main line: up to 130 km/h
Highest elevation	Lonavla 622 metres (2,041 ft)
Route map km 9 Mumbai CSMT 8 Masjid Wadi Bunder Rail Yard on Harbour line 7 Sandhurst Road Mazgaon Coaching Yard 5 Byculla 4 Chinchpokli 3 Currey Road Parel Locomotive Workshop 1 Parel 0 Dadar on Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line 1 Matunga 4 Sion 7 Kurla on Harbour line Kurla EMU Carshed 8 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus 9 Vidyavihar 10 Ghatkopar 14 Vikhroli Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road 16 Kanjurmarg 18 Bhandup 20 Nahur Mulund–Goregaon Link Road Mulund Depot 22 Mulund 24 Thane 26 Kalwa and Kalwa EMU Car Shed Parsik Tunnel 30 Mumbra 32 Diva Junction on Vasai Road–Roha line 37 Kopar To Vasai Road–Roha line and Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line 38 Dombivli 40 Thakurli 43 Kalyan Junction to Bhusawal–Kalyan section 45 Vithalwadi 47 Ulhasnagar 49 Ambernath 57 Badlapur 68 Vangani 71 Shelu 76 Neral Junction (Change for Matheran Hill Railway) 82 Bhivpuri Road 0 Panvel Dapoli Jasai Chirle To Vasai Road–Roha line and Konkan Railway to Nerul–Uran line 4 Chikhale Ranjanpada 10 Mohope Nhava Sheva 17 Chouk Dronagiri Uran 28 / 89 Karjat 92 Palasdari 96 Kelavli 98 Dolavli 101 Lowjee 104 Khopoli 99 Jambrung Cabin 102 Thakurwadi Cabin 108 Monkey Hill Cabin NH 48 Bhor Ghat Tunnel 113 Khandala 117 Lonavala Lonavala Car Shed Mumbai–Pune Expressway 125 Malavli NH 48 132 Kamshet 137 Kanhe 142 Vadgaon 146 Talegaon 149 Ghorawadi 152 Begdewadi 156 Dehu Road NH 48 161 Akurdi Akurdi-Chikali Road Chinchwad-Akurdi Link Road 164 Chinchwad Mother Teresa Flyover KBS Road 166 Pimpri 169 Kasarwadi Wakad-Bhosari BRTS Road Dapodi Bridge 172 Dapodi Mula River 175 Khadki 178 Shivajinagar HK Firodia Bridge Mutha River 181 Pune Junction Bund Garden Road Koregaon Park Road Ghorpuri and Ghorpuri Car Shed on Pune–Miraj–Londa line 186 Hadapsar 191 Manjari Budruk Loni Yard 197 Loni Ultratech Cement Limited 209 Uruli 222 Yevat 228 Khutbav 234 Kedgaon to Pune–Miraj–Londa line SH 48 239 Kadethan Miraj Junction 0 245 Patas Bolwad 6 Daund Chord Line to Manmad–Daund branch line Bedag 11 Arag 17 Daund Goods Yard Belanki 29 Sulgare 34 256/0 Daund Junction Agran Dhulgaon 41 Agrani River Daund Electric Loco Shed Kavanthe Mahakal 46 13 Maladgaon Langarpeth 57 20 Shirsai Dhalgaon 62 33 Katphal Gulvanchi 71 43 Baramati Jath Road 80 on Pune–Miraj–Londa line Mhasoba Dongargaon 86 266 Boribial Javla 90 276 Malthan Wasud 99 284 Bhigwan Manganga River Bhima River Sangola 107 295 Jinti Road Bamani 117 305 Parewadi Bohali 126 312 Washimbe Pandharpur 137 Bhima River Bhima River 321 Pophlaj Babhulgaon 149 330 Jeur Ashti 159 337 Bhalwani Modnimb 167 350 Kem Padsali 177 354 Dhavalas Laul 181 190/364 Kurduvadi Junction 195 Chink Hill Wadshinge 372 199 Mahisgaon Madha 380 Sina River Vakav 387 210 Shendri Angar 393 215 Uplai Malikpeth 400 227 Barsi Town SH 48 235 Kuslamb Mohol 410 244 Pangri National Highway 48 (India) Sonegaon Tunnel Mundhewadi 418 Deodari Bridge Sina River Deodari Tunnel Pakni 427 Bale 437 263 Osmanabad Degaon Road NH 42 Solapur 443 273 Yedshi to Solapur–Guntakal section 283 Kalamb Road 290 Dhoki 295 Thair 300 Palsap 306 Murud 312 Neoli 323 Ausa Road 333 Harangul 342 Latur 355 Bhatangli 365 Gharni 375 Latur Road Junction on Parbhani–Vikarabad line Source:Google Maps, Mumbai Dadar–Chennai Egmore Superfast Express, Karjat–Khopoli Slow Local EMU 96005, Panvel–Pune Passenger , Miraj–Parli Vaijnath Passenger

History

The first passenger train in India from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai to Thane ran on 16 April 1853 on the track laid by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. The GIPR line was extended to Kalyan Junction in 1854 and then on the south-east side to Khopoli via Palasdari at the foot of the Western Ghats in 1856. While construction work was in progress across the Bhor Ghat, GIPR opened to public the Khandala–Pune track in 1858.

The Bhor Ghat incline connecting Palasdari to Khandala was completed in 1862, thereby connecting Mumbai and Pune. The Western Ghats presented a big obstacle to the railway engineers in the 1860s. The summit of the Bhor Ghat (earlier spelt as Bhore Ghat) incline being 2,027 feet. The maximum gradient was: 1 in 37 with extreme curvature. "The works on the Bhore ghat comprised 25 tunnels of a total length of nearly 4,000 yards, two of the longest being 435 yards and 341 yards respectively. The Bhore ghat have eight lofty viaducts having a total length of 2,961 feet. Two of the largest are more than 500 feet long with a maximum height of 1160 and 163 feet. There are 22 bridges of spans from 7 to 30 feet and 81 culverts of various sizes." The construction of the Bhor Ghat incline came at a high price: an estimated 24,000 builders died during the eight years of construction. That is roughly one dead builder per meter of railway line - or an average of 8 dead builders per day for a time span of 8 years - an incredible death toll made possible by the neglect and carelessness of British colonialists.

The Pune–Raichur sector of the Mumbai–Chennai line was opened in stages: the portion from Pune to Barshi Road was opened in 1859, from Barshi Road to Mohol in 1860 and from Mohol to Solapur also in 1860. Work on the line from Solapur southwards was begun in 1865 and the line was extended to Raichur in 1871.

The 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Manmad–Daund line was opened in 1878 and connected the two main sections (the south-east and north east) of GIPR.

Barsi Light Railway was a 202-mile (325 km) long, 2 ft 6 in (762 mm)-wide railway from Kurduvadi Junction to Latur. It was opened in 1897 on a 22-mile (35 km) long railway track from Barsi Road to Barsi, and extended in stages. The narrow-gauge line from Barsi Road to Pandharpur was extended to Miraj in 1927. Gauge conversion from 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) of the Miraj-Latur track and extension of the new line to Latur Road was taken up in 1992 and completed in stages. The last phase of the 375-kilometre (233 mi) long project was completed in 2008.

Electrification

Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway's (GIPR) on 3 February 1925, on 1.5 kV DC. The Kalyan–Pune section was electrified with 1.5 kV DC overhead system in 1930.

The previously used 1.5 kV DC was converted to 25 kV AC on 5 May 2013 from Kalyan to Khopoli and Kalyan to Kasara. Conversion from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Thane-Kalyan section was completed on 12 January 2014. The CSMT to LTT section was converted from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on 8 June 2015. The Kasara-Pune section was also converted from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC.

The Pune–Daund section as well as Daund-Bhigwan section was electrified in 2017. The electrification of the Bhigwan-Kalaburgi section was completed on 25 March 2022. With this, the Mumbai Chennai section is fully electrified. In September 2022, the entire Mumbai-Chennai section was also doubled.

Speed limit

The Kalyan–Pune–Daund-Wadi line is classified as 'Group B' line and can take speeds up to 130 km/h. However, the stretch between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Kalyan Junction is classified as 'Group A' lines, where trains can take speed up to 160 km/h.

Loco sheds

Kalyan diesel loco shed houses WDM-2, WDM-3A, WDM-3D, WDP 4D, WDG-3A and WDG-4 locos. Kalyan electric loco shed houses WAP-7, WCAM-2, WCAM-3, WCAG-1, WAG-5, WAG-7 and WAG-9 locos. Pune diesel loco shed houses 175 locos. These include WDM-2, WDM-3A, WDM-3D, WDG-3A, WDP-4D and WDG-4 locos. Pune trip shed houses WAP-4, WAP-5, WAP-7, WCAM-2/2P, WCAM-3 and WCAG-1 locos. Pune has one trip shed for WDS-4 shunters and another for Pune–Lonavla EMUs. Lonavla has an AC trip shed for Bhor Ghat bankers. Kurduwadi had a narrow gauge diesel loco shed for Barsi Light Railway. The shed was closed down after conversion to the broad-gauge railway. Historic stock included the WCG-2, WCM-1, WCM-2, WCM-3, WCM-4, WCM-5, WCP-1, WCP-2, WCP-3, and WCP-4 electric locomotives. Also a new loco shed is under construction in Daund.

Workshop

Kurduwadi Workshop was set up for repair of narrow gauge steam locomotives, coaches and wagons by Barsi Light Railway in 1930. After conversion to the broad-gauge, Kurduwadi Workshop now undertakes rehabilitation of 20 broad-gauge wagons per month.

Passenger movement

Dadar, Pune and Solapur on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.

External links

• Trains at Dadar
• Trains at Kalyan
• Trains at Pune
• Trains at Solapur