PuneFadnavis proposes freight rail corridor linking JNPT, Vadhvan ports with ExpresswayChief minister Devendra Fadnavis Wednesday proposed the creation of a dedicated rail freight corridor linking Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) and the upcoming Vadhvan Port with the Samruddhi expressway (e-way), saying that the project could reduce logistics costs to just 7 to 8% and help integrate large parts of Maharashtra into global supply chains. Fadnavis said that the proposed corridor will run along the Samruddhi e-way, where land has already been reserved for a railway line, and connect major logistics and industrial centres across the state.“Maharashtra has JNPT, which handles nearly 60% of India’s container traffic. We are also building Vadhvan Port, which will be three times bigger than JNPT and among the world’s top 10 ports. We want to create a dedicated rail freight corridor from JNPT and Vadhvan along the Samruddhi e-way,” Fadnavis said.It is proposed that the corridor will connect the dry ports at Jalna and Wardha before extending to Gadchiroli which Fadnavis described as India’s emerging steel hub.“This will actually bring down the cost of logistics to seven or eight per cent, which we really want to achieve, and it will make us part of the new global supply chain,” he said.According to Fadnavis, port-led development has benefitted only a limited part of Maharashtra so far.“Today, the benefits of port-led development reach only about 15% of Maharashtra. With this connectivity, nearly 75% of the state will be linked directly to our ports. Put up industry anywhere and you have dedicated port connectivity—that is our dream,” he said.Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was present at the event, welcomed the proposal and said it would significantly enhance connectivity across Maharashtra.“Today, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has put forward an excellent proposal. By connecting JNPT and Vadhvan Port with Vidarbha and Marathwada through a dedicated freight corridor along the Samruddhi Mahamarg, nearly 75% of Maharashtra will receive direct connectivity,” Vaishnaw said.He said that the proposed corridor, coupled with the east-west dedicated freight corridor planned by the Centre, will improve access to ports for industries across the state.“The target of reducing logistics costs to 8% will be achieved. North Maharashtra will also benefit through direct connectivity to Vadhvan Port. Railway connectivity will bring substantial economic activity to the state,” Vaishnaw said.Fadnavis said that Maharashtra currently contributes around 14% of India’s GDP and nearly 20% of the country’s exports and is positioning itself as a hub for advanced manufacturing and technology industries. Highlighting the state’s growing role in the digital economy, he said nearly 60% of India’s data centre capacity is being developed in Maharashtra.“Maharashtra is emerging as India’s data centre hub. We are committed to building a complete ecosystem around data centres, deep-tech industries, electronics manufacturing and semiconductor production,” he said.Describing Mumbai and Pune as India’s emerging ‘Quantum Valley’, Fadnavis said improved connectivity between the two cities will further accelerate innovation and investment.Mumbai-Pune bullet train to cut travel time to 48 minutesFadnavis said that the proposed Mumbai-Pune bullet train will reduce travel time between the two cities to just 48 minutes, helping transform them into a single integrated economic region, while the state government is working on an ambitious plan to position Maharashtra as a key node in the global supply chain network.“The Mumbai-Pune bullet train will bring the two cities within 48 minutes of each other. This will create an integrated economic zone with enormous opportunities for industry, innovation and employment,” Fadnavis said.Vaishnaw said, “Our bullet train project is progressing rapidly. The first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will begin operations next year, and its inauguration will take place. Work is progressing rapidly. Now the country has the capability to build bullet trains. So, the Prime Minister has decided on a corridor. This decision will make the Mumbai-Pune corridor, a 170-km corridor, turn into just 48 minutes for both cities. This means that Mumbai and Pune will become twin cities, and this facility will become a very good economic corridor and an excellent cultural centre. The 500-km route from Pune to Hyderabad will be reduced to a journey of approximately 2 hours and 8 mins. This means that Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vapi, and Thane will all constitute a very good economic ecosystem.”The union budget this year announced seven new, high-speed rail corridors, spanning nearly 4,000 km, with an estimated total investment of ₹16 lakh crore. These include Mumbai-Pune and Pune-Hyderabad.