**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Railways has completed the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a new 108 km rail line connecting Kolhapur (Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus) and Vaibhavwadi. As of March 25, 2026, the project is entering the consultation and appraisal phase, requiring approvals from NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance. Final timelines for the project remain dynamic, as they are contingent upon various statutory clearances and stakeholder consensus.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Project Status and Infrastructure**
* A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been finalized for the 108 km Kolhapur–Vaibhavwadi new rail line.
* Kolhapur station, now designated as Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus [SCSM(T)], currently operates 30 train services.
* Existing services provide connectivity to major hubs including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur, Gondia, Tirupati, and Kalaburagi.
**Approval and Sanctioning Requirements**
* The project requires formal consultation with State Governments and other key stakeholders.
* Necessary approvals must be obtained from the Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog.
* Sanctioning is dependent on several parameters, including traffic projections, remunerativeness of the route, and socio-economic considerations.
* The availability of funds and demands from public representatives or State Governments also influence the sanctioning process.
**Execution and Completion Challenges**
* Project completion timelines are influenced by land acquisition and forest clearance processes.
* Technical factors such as geological conditions, topographical challenges, and the shifting of infringing utilities impact the schedule.
* Operational constraints include the number of viable working months per year and the law and order situation at project sites.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Railways / Central Government**
**Impact**
Responsible for the project’s progression from the reporting stage to execution.
**Action Required**
Coordinate with appraisal bodies and ensure the project meets operational and remunerative requirements for sanctioning.
**NITI Aayog and Ministry of Finance**
**Impact**
These bodies act as the primary approving authorities for the project's financial and strategic viability.
**Action Required**
Conduct formal appraisals of the DPR to determine if the project meets the necessary criteria for official sanctioning.
**State Governments**
**Impact**
Affected by the proposed route and responsible for localized support.
**Action Required**
Participate in consultations and facilitate critical local processes such as land acquisition, forest clearances, and maintaining law and order at construction sites.
**Commuters and Regional Passengers**
**Impact**
The project aims to enhance connectivity beyond the current 30 services reaching major Indian cities.
**Action Required**
No immediate action required, though the project is designed to address long-term demands for increased rail access and reduced congestion.
Key Entities Referenced
Kolhapur–Vaibhavwadi New Rail Line Project: A proposed 108 km railway infrastructure project for which a Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared.
Ministry of Railways: The primary central ministry responsible for the development, sanctioning, and implementation of the new rail line project.
Detailed Project Report (DPR): The essential planning document prepared for the Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi project that requires multi-stakeholder appraisal for project sanctioning.
NITI Aayog: The government body responsible for the appraisal of the rail project's Detailed Project Report before formal sanctioning.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw: The Minister of Railways who provided the official status update on the rail project in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Ministry of Railways
DPR Prepared for Kolhapur–Vaibhavwadi 108 km
New Rail Line Project
Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Kolhapur - Vaibhavwadi
(108 km) new line project has been prepared
Kolhapur is being served by 30 train services providing
connectivity inter alia to major destinations like Delhi,
Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur
Posted On: 25 MAR 2026 3:21PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 25 March 2026
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Kolhapur (now Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus) -
Vaibhavwadi (108 km) new line project has been prepared.
After preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR), the project requires consultation with various
stake-holders including State Governments and necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI
Aayog, Ministry of Finance etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process,
exact timelines depend upon appraisals and approvals by various stakeholders.
At present, the Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus [SCSM(T)] Kolhapur is being served
by the following 30 train services providing connectivity inter alia to major destinations like
Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur:
SN Train No. & Name
1 20673 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Pune Vande Bharat Express
2 20674 Pune-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Vande Bharat Express
3 11029 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj(T)-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Koyna Express
4 11030 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj(T) Koyna Express
5 11039 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Gondia Maharashtra Express
6 11040 Gondia-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Maharashtra Express
7 11045 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Dhanbad Dikshabhumi Express8 11046 Dhanbad-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Dikshabhumi Express
9 11049 Ahmedabad-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Express
10 11050 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Ahmedabad Express
11 11403 Nagpur-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Express
12 11404 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Nagpur Express
13 11425 Pune-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Express
14 11426 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Pune Express
15 12147 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express
16 12148 Hazrat Nizamuddin-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Express
17 17411 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj(T)-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Express
18 17412 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj(T) Mahalaxmi Express
19 17415 Tirupati-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Haripriya Express
20 17416 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Tirupati Haripriya Express
21 22155 Kalaburagi-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Express
22 22156 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Kalaburagi Express
23 71423 Satara-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Passenger
24 71424 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Satara Passenger
25 71425 Miraj-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Passenger
26 71426 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Miraj Passenger
27 71427 Miraj-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Passenger
28 71428 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Miraj Passenger
29 71429 Miraj-SCSM(T) Kolhapur Passenger
30 71430 SCSM(T) Kolhapur-Sangli PassengerCompletion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following:
Land acquisition
Forest clearance
Shifting of infringing utilities
Statutory clearances from various authorities
Geological and topographical conditions of area
Law and order situation in the area of project site
Number of working months in a year for a particular project site etc.
Sanction of any railway project depends upon many parameters/factors which include the
following:
Anticipated traffic projections and Remunerativeness of the proposed route
First and last mile connectivity provided by the project
Connection of missing links and providing additional route
Augmentation of congested/saturated lines
Demands raised by State Governments / Central Ministries / Public representatives,
Railway’s own operational requirements
Socio-economic considerations
Overall availability of funds
This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and
Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to a question in
Lok Sabha today.
* * *
PIB Mumbai | Yash Rane/Darshana Rane
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