First Mumbai-Goa train on Western Railway gets nod; inaugural run on August 29

PTI, Aug 28, 2024, 8:08 AM IST

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Mumbai: The Railway Board has given its approval for operating a bi-weekly train for Goa and Maharashtra’s Konkan region from Bandra Terminus station on the Western Railway (WR), officials said on Tuesday.

The train’s inaugural run will take place on August 29 from Borivali, a major station on WR, instead of Bandra Terminus, they said.

At present, all Konkan and Goa-bound trains from Mumbai operate from Central Railway’s stations.

Starting a Goa-bound train from Bandra Terminus will benefit tourists from Western suburbs of Mumbai who are looking to visit the coastal state, a popular holiday destination.

A WR official said in absence of a cord line, they will have to change the direction from north to south at Vasai road for running Konkan-bound trains from their system, which will be time consuming and could affect other trains’ punctuality as well.

The Railway Board has issued a notification about running a bi-weekly train between Bandra Terminus and Madgoan in Goa, he said.

The train will depart from Madgaon on every Tuesday and Thursday at 7.40 am and arrive at Bandra Terminus at 11.40 pm. It will leave Bandra Terminus on every Wednesday and Friday at 6.50 am and reach Madgaon at 10 pm, as per the notification.

The train has been given stoppages at 13 stations — Borivali, Vasai Road, Bhiwandi Road, Panvel, Roha, Veer, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Kankavli, Sindhudurg, Sawantwadi, Thivim and Karmali.

The train will be operated with 20 LHB ((Linke Hofmann Busch)-type coaches, the notification said.

These coaches offer enhanced safety, comfort, and efficiency for train passengers.