The Vande Bharat semi-high speed express train will be operated on the Mumbai-Goa route soon, Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve has informed a delegation of legislators from Maharashtra. This information was shared by Niranjan Davkhare, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council representing the Konkan graduates constituency. The delegation of legislators met Danve on Friday. During the meeting, the Union minister told the group that a Vande Bharat Express train will be operated between Mumbai and Goa, Davkhare said in a release. This express train will be operated between Mumbai and Goa on the lines of the ones introduced recently on Mumbai-Shirdi and Mumbai-Solapur routes to curtail travel time, Danve said. The electrification of the Mumbai-Goa railway route has been completed and the new train service will be introduced following an inspection, the minister told the delegation.
The delegation discussed several issues concerning railways in Thane and Konkan region with the minister during the meeting. Issues like allotment of stalls to the railway project-affected persons or their relatives, mobile stalls at each railway station for farmers, raising the height of platforms to reduce the gap between them and trains, taking measures to prevent flooding due to the railway bridge at Mahad in Raigad, also came up for discussion, the release said.The delegation discussed with Danve the demand to extend the Sawantwadi-Diva train service till Dadar, rehabilitation of those residing along the railway tracks under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme, and other issues, it added. The legislators also demanded that the Mumbra station in Thane be renamed as Mumbra Devi station. Danve assured them that action will be taken after the state government submits a proposal to this effect.