Pune railway division to adopt Japanese-style maintenance model with Alandi depot

Hemant Kumar Behera, spokesperson of the Pune railway division, stated that the proposal is under active consideration by the railway board and expressed optimism about obtaining approval soon. He noted that the project aligns with the long-term vision of handling increased train operations and improving turnaround times for modern coaches.

The Alandi facility is planned to include three maintenance pit lines of 600 metres each and two stabling lines for parking trains. Coaches will be serviced on the pit lines, while trains will be stationed on the stabling lines. A separate sick line will be developed to isolate and repair defective coaches detached from train formations.

The move stems from rising land costs in Pune and limited space at the main station. By shifting cleaning, maintenance and repair activities to Alandi, the plan aims to decongest operations at Pune station. Currently, the Ghorpadi Coach Maintenance Complex (GCMC) near Pune station services about 300 coaches daily and is under pressure, with increasing train operations expected to raise the load further.

The Pune railway division unveiled plans to adopt a Japanese-style operational model by establishing a new coach depot at Alandi station on the Pune-Satara route, with an estimated cost of ₹97 crore. The facility is intended to handle daily maintenance of around 100 coaches, including LHB and Vande Bharat Express rakes, and the proposal is under active consideration by the railway board with anticipation of approval soon.