Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated a bi-weekly train service running between Bandra Terminus and Madgaon, which commenced today. The Western Railway shared a video and photos of the event on its Twitter account, celebrating the launch with the message, "Moment of joy...! New train service for Konkan." The inaugural service was flagged off at Borivali in the presence of various dignitaries.
In June, Piyush Goyal recognized the demand from Mumbaikars for train services from the Western Railway line to the Konkan region. Following discussions with the Central Railway Minister, he announced plans to initiate the train service in time for Ganapati celebrations. True to his word, Goyal has provided relief to Konkan residents in Mumbai by launching this service just a week before Ganeshotsav. This marks the first Mumbai-Goa train to operate on the Western Railway line, aimed at enhancing connectivity between the western suburbs of Mumbai and the Konkan region, including Goa.
The train consists of 20 LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coaches and will depart from Madgaon in Goa every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:40 AM, arriving at Bandra Terminus at 11:40 PM. Conversely, the train will leave Bandra Terminus every Wednesday and Friday at 6:50 AM, reaching Madgaon at 10:00 PM. The inaugural train departed from Borivali in the afternoon and will make stops at Borivali, Vasai Road, Bhiwandi Road, Panvel, Roha, Veer, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Kankavali, Sindhudurg, Sawantwadi, Thivim, and Karmale stations.