Maharashtra clears Rs 240 crore for Dharashiv-Tuljapur-Solapur rail line
State government approves its Rs 240 crore share for the rail project linking Dharashiv, Tuljapur and Solapur, targeted for completion by December 2029.
The state government has approved its share of Rs 240 crore in funding for the Dharashiv-Tuljapur-Solapur railway line project. The decision is expected to speed up work on the large project and strengthens the target of completing the entire railway line by December 2029. The information was shared by Tuljapur MLA Ranajagjitsinha Patil on social media.
About 85 percent of the work on the Dharashiv-Tuljapur railway line has already been completed. This stretch is planned to be finished by June 2027. Meanwhile, the tender process for the Tuljapur-Solapur railway line has also picked up pace and is in its final stage, Patil said. Five new railway stations will be built on this route.
Tuljapur is home to the major pilgrimage site of Tuljabhavani Mata temple, so the rail connectivity is being given considerable importance for religious tourism. Once the line is completed, Tuljapur and the entire Dharashiv district will get rail connectivity to Solapur and other major cities beyond. This is expected to ease the movement of pilgrims, boost tourism, trade and industry, and help with the transport of farmers' produce. It could also create local employment opportunities.
The Dharashiv-Tuljapur-Solapur railway line is seen as an important project for the district's infrastructure development. The approval of this additional funding from the state will provide financial strength for the project's future work. For this decision, which followed lobbying for the project, MLA Ranajagjitsinha Patil thanked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
The total length of the project is about 84.44 km, with the central government's forest-related proposal also recording a length of 84.439 km. The initially approved cost was Rs 904.92 crore, which, according to the project entry from July 2025, has risen to about Rs 3,295.75 crore. As per project funding records, the cost is being shared 50:50 between the Railways and the Maharashtra government. According to a report dated September 18, 2026, the Maharashtra government has approved Rs 240 crore from its share for 2026-27, in addition to Rs 340 crore already released by the state earlier.
The Dharashiv-Tuljapur stretch is about 30.70 km long, of which around 85 percent of the work has been completed, with a plan to finish it by June 2027. The Solapur-Tuljapur stretch is about 53.58 km long, and the tender process for this section is in its final stage. The Solapur-Tuljapur stretch has a target completion date of December 2029.
On the roughly 30 km Dharashiv-Tuljapur stretch, three new stations are planned, at Tuljapur, Vadgaon and Sanja. On the 53.586 km Solapur-Tuljapur stretch, five new stations are proposed at Khed, Mardi, Tamalwadi, Malumbra and Raikhel. This section is reported to have two major tunnels, 8 major bridges, 37 minor bridges, 36 road underbridges and 7 road overbridges proposed.
