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Develop Railway Infrastructure to Make Maharashtra Free of Railway Level Crossings: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

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Approval Granted for 65 Railway Infrastructure Projects

Mumbai, June 2026: A total of 65 railway infrastructure projects have been approved in the first phase out of 131 proposed projects to be undertaken by the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MahaRail). The approval was granted during a meeting of MahaRail chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The Chief Minister also directed officials to develop the necessary infrastructure to make Maharashtra completely free of railway level crossings.

The meeting was held at Sahyadri Guest House. Public Works Minister Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale participated through video conferencing, while Minister of State for Public Works Indranil Naik and MLA Prasad Lad attended in person.

The projects to be executed by MahaRail include railway overbridges, pedestrian bridges, and road underpasses beneath railway tracks on roads falling under the jurisdiction of the Public Works and Urban Development Departments. Detailed discussions on these projects were held during the meeting, during which the Chief Minister issued several key directives.

Chief Minister Fadnavis stated that there should not be a single railway level crossing left anywhere in Maharashtra. He emphasized that infrastructure should be developed to achieve a railway-crossing-free Maharashtra. Considering the rapid urbanisation around railway corridors in metropolitan areas, he directed that infrastructure projects be undertaken wherever necessary to facilitate smooth and convenient transportation for citizens.

Among the 65 approved projects, priority will be given to infrastructure works on roads with Train Vehicle Units (TVU) ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 and requiring minimal land acquisition. The Chief Minister stressed that these projects should be completed at the earliest.

Keeping in view the growing urbanisation across cities, a total of 80 railway infrastructure projects have been planned in urban areas. Fadnavis directed the formation of committees comprising Municipal Commissioners and District Collectors to verify and review the proposed projects. Once verified, MahaRail will take up their execution. He expressed confidence that completing these projects would provide citizens with critical infrastructure even before demand pressures become acute.

The Chief Minister also highlighted concerns regarding a flyover in Nagpur city, stating that traffic congestion is likely to increase at intersections on the structure as vehicle numbers continue to grow. He directed officials to take preventive measures to avoid future bottlenecks.

He further instructed that a new railway overbridge be constructed on the Amravati–Badnera route, where an old bridge currently exists. MahaRail was asked to implement projects in phases based on priority.

To finance the infrastructure projects, the Chief Minister suggested obtaining loans from HUDCO. He also advised HUDCO to explore alternative funding mechanisms instead of relying solely on bank borrowings and to reduce interest rates on loans provided to the government after assessing market competition.

Fadnavis further directed that the process of bringing MahaRail under the Public Works Department be expedited. He also instructed that payments for projects completed by MahaRail should be released promptly by the state government.

Senior officials who attended the meeting included Public Works Department Additional Chief Secretary Milind Mhaiskar via video conferencing, HUDCO Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Kulshreshtha, Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Aseem Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) O.P. Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge, Secretary (Planning) Shaila A., and other senior officials. MahaRail Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal made a detailed presentation on the proposed projects.