India, Aug. 7 -- The Maharashtra government's decision on Wednesday to set up a four-member expert committee to re-examine the original alignment of the Pune-Nashik semi high-speed rail corridor has revived hopes that the long-delayed project could return to its initially proposed route through Chakan, Narayangaon, Sangamner and Sinnar instead of the revised alignment via Shirdi and Ahilyanagar.

The committee, headed by former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, has been tasked with examining whether the original alignment can be retained without affecting the functioning of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at Khodad near Narayangaon - the key reason cited by the railways for abandoning the original route.

Constit...