In a couple of days, I will be making train bookings to go to Shirdi from Pune. I am unaware of which train station I should choose to reach Shirdi and obviously it is important to get the right information about the place of arrival. I would like to know what the nearest railway station to Shirdi is, so I can complete the booking.
Hello, @Mishra, welcome to the forum! Overview The distance between Pune and Shirdi is about 200 kilometres. Driving this distance can take around 4 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours. If you take public transportation, like a train or a bus, the journey might be longer, averaging to about 5 to 7 hours. Shirdi is located in the state of Maharashtra and is a popular pilgrimage destination because it was once the home of the guru, Sai Baba. He is revered holy by both Muslim and Hindu devotees and so the town of Shirdi became an important religious destination in the country. The Nearest Railway Station to Shirdi Railway StationDistance from ShirdiDriving Time from Station to ShirdiSainagar Shirdi Railway Station3 Kilometres10 MinutesPuntamba Junction Railway Station16.4 Kilometres30 MinutesKopargaon Railway Station18 Kilometres32 MinutesSanvatsar Railway Station21 Kilometres35 MinutesChitali Railway Station25 Kilometres40 MinutesAs you can see from the table above, the nearest railway station to Shirdi is the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station. It is just about three kilometres away from the city centre of Shirdi. Walking this distance can take around 30 minutes though so it's best to hire a taxi or an auto rickshaw at least from the station to the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple or the city centre of Shirdi. The management of the temple also has shuttle services from the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station up to the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple as well. There's one dilemma though, there is only one train plying from Pune to Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station and it's a passenger train. The next nearest railway stations are that of Puntamba Junction and Kopargaon. These stations are under 20 kilometres away from Shirdi proper. If you hire a taxi, you can reach Shirdi, from any of these railway stations, for under 35 minutes. From these railway stations, you can also ride another train that can connect you to the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station. The last two railway stations are not directly connected to the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station so they are not good options. Pune to Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station As mentioned above, there is only one direct train from Pune to the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station. It runs daily though and fare is very minimal at Rs. 50 for General Quota and Rs. 490 for 3AC. Journey duration is around 6 hours and 35 minutes although the train sometimes faces delays. Train from Pune to Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station Train Name and NumberDeparture Station - TimeArrival Station - TimeScheduleMumbai CST Sainagar Shirdi Fast Passenger Train No. 51033Pune Junction - 4:20Sainagar Shirdi - 10:55DailyPune to Puntamba Junction Railway Station The Puntamba Junction is about 16.4 kilometres away from Shirdi. You can ride another train from here to the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station though. From Pune to Puntamba Junction, journey duration is around 5 to 7 hours. Fare is around Rs. 50 for the General Quota. Trains from Pune to Puntamba Junction Railway Station Train Name and NumberDeparture Station - TimeArrival Station - TimeSchedulePune Manmad Passenger Train No. 51401Pune Junction - 00:30Puntamba Junction - 7:33DailyPune Nizamabad Passenger Train No. 51421Pune Junction - 14:25Puntamba Junction - 20:25DailyMaharashtra Express Train No. 11039Pune Junction - 23:20Puntamba Junction - 4:08DailyNow, from Puntamba Junction, you have two options, either ride a taxi or ride another train to Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station to reach Shirdi from here. Either way works, although the former is more expensive but convenient. Below are the timings for the trains from Puntamba to Sainagar Shirdi. Fare would be around Rs. 45 for a General Quota ticket. Journey duration is merely 20 minutes, more or less. Trains from Puntamba Junction to Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station Train Name and NumberDeparture Station - TimeArrival Station - TimeScheduleVijayawada Sainagar Shirdi Express Train No. 17208Puntamba Junction - 8:47Sainagar Shirdi - 9:15WednesdayKakinada Sainagar Shirdi Express Train No. 17206Puntamba Junction - 8:47Sainagar Shirdi - 9:15Sunday, Tuesday and ThursdaySecunderabad Sainagar Shirdi Express Train No. 17002Puntamba Junction - 8:47Sainagar Shirdi - 9:15Monday and SaturdayMumbai CST Sainagar Shirdi Fast Passenger Train No. 51033Puntamba Junction - 10:20Sainagar Shirdi - 10:55Sunday to WednesdayShirdi Express Train No. 22601Puntamba Junction - 10:45Sainagar Shirdi - 11:30TuesdayMysore Shirdi Express Train No. 16217Puntamba Junction - 10:45Sainagar Shirdi - 11:30TuesdayPune to Kopargaon Railway Station The Kopargaon Railway Station is about 18 kilometres away from Shirdi. The good feature of this railway station is that it has many trains plying from Pune. Fare averages about Rs. 50 and journey duration is about 5 to 8 hours. Trains from Pune to Kopargaon Railway Station Train Name and NumberDeparture Station - TimeArrival Station - TimeSchedulePune Manmad Passenger Train No. 51401Pune Junction - 00:30Kopargaon - 8:22DailyPune Nizamabad Passenger Train No. 51421Pune Junction - 14:25Kopargaon - 21:14DailyMaharashtra Express Train No. 11039Pune Junction - 23:20Kopargaon - 4:31DailyPune Patna Express Train No. 12149Pune Junction - 20:55Kopargaon - 1:27DailyAzad Hind Express Train No. 12129Pune Junction - 18:25Kopargaon - 23:18DailyAgain, from Kopargaon Railway Station, you can either ride a cab or another train to reach Shirdi. Fare for train journey is around Rs. 60 for General Quota. Journey duration would be around 45 minutes. Trains from Kopargaon to Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station Train Name and NumberDeparture Station - TimeArrival Station - TimeScheduleVijayawada Sainagar Shirdi Express Train No. 17208Kopargaon - 8:20Sainagar Shirdi - 9:15WednesdayKakinada Sainagar Shirdi Express Train No. 17206Kopargaon - 8:20Sainagar Shirdi - 9:15Sunday, Tuesday and ThursdaySecunderabad Sainagar Shirdi Express Train No. 17002Kopargaon - 8:20Sainagar Shirdi - 9:15Monday and SaturdayDadar Sainagar Express Train No. 12131Kopargaon - 3:00Sainagar Shirdi - 3:51Sunday, Tuesday and ThursdayPuri Sainagar Shirdi Express Train No. 18407Kopargaon - 6:00Sainagar Shirdi - 7:30SundayConclusion So as you can see, you have three options to reach Shirdi from Pune. The most convenient one is via a direct train from Pune to the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station. However, only one daily train plies for this route so you need to fix your schedule accordingly. Your next options would be to reach either the Puntamba Junction or Kopargaon Railway Station from Pune. Then, you can ride another train from either of these stations into the Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station. I hope this helps you.
