Officials have proposed including the long-awaited Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi railway in the PM Gati Shakti program. The decision stemmed from the 53rd meeting of the National Planning Group (NPG), chaired by Sumeet Davara, the logistics secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Promotion.

The railway, which connects western Maharashtra to Konkan, received its first approval in 2016. Since then, however, the project has progressed slowly. A provision of Rs 3,411 crore has been allocated by the railways for the route, although the proposal is pending approval.

The rail link is expected to promote better connectivity between western Maharashtra and Konkan, with significant benefits for both passenger and freight transport. Shivnath Biyani, a member of the Central Advisory Committee on Railways, stressed that the establishment of the route will not only facilitate passenger traffic, but also make the transport of various goods more cost-effective and safer.

Former railway minister Suresh Prabhu had initially announced this route in the 2016 railway budget. Subsequently, in May 2017, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the route was presented to the railway management. After this, Prabhu initiated a final route investigation, which led to the board's acceptance of the DPR in August 2019.

However, due to the presence of a ghat section, officials have indicated that the 28-kilometer section will undergo a re-examination. This resurvey aims to optimize the bending distance on the track and thus guarantee safer and more efficient track operation.

The inclusion of the Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi rail route in the PM Gati Shakti programme is poised to improve railway infrastructure, increase connectivity and support regional development goals, enabling smoother movement of people and goods in the Maharashtra-Konkan region.