Under political pressure, the Western Railway (WR) has introduced a new 15-coach train service to Konkan, set to be inaugurated on August 29 at 1:25 PM by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Union Minister Piyush Goyal is also expected to attend the ceremony. This new service, initially promised during the election campaign for the Ganpati festival, aims to address the high demand for travel to the Konkan region.The train will depart from Borivali, marking the first time Borivali will serve as a stop for Konkan-bound trains. The regular service will be a bi-weekly operation starting from Bandra Terminus, covering the route to Madgaon with a total of 20 coaches.
The train will make 13 stops: Borivali, Vasai Road, Bhiwandi Road, Panvel, Roha, Veer, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Kankavli, Sindhudurg, Sawantwadi, Thivim, and Karmali. The journey will take approximately 14 hours and 35 minutes, covering a distance of 604 kilometers at an average speed of 42 kmph.This service is expected to be beneficial for tourists from Mumbai's western suburbs, as all other Konkan and Goa-bound trains currently operate from Central Railway stations. The train will operate with 20 Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches designed for enhanced passenger safety and comfort.
The train will depart from Madgaon every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:40 AM, arriving at Bandra Terminus at 11:40 PM. It will leave Bandra Terminus every Wednesday and Friday at 6:50 AM and reach Madgaon at 10:00 PM. Due to the absence of a direct chord line, the train will need to change direction at Vasai Road, which may impact punctuality. The introduction of this service comes after a push from local rail passenger associations, including C Naik from Vasai, who expressed satisfaction with the new development.