Walter de sa, Principal of St. Xavier's College, Mapusa, Goa

For some time now, there has been a huge demand to increase the number of coaches on the Vande Bharat Express train operating on the Mumbai–Goa route. Finally, this long-standing wish of the people of Konkan is being fulfilled ahead of Ganeshotsav festival as many Konkan residents have already reached their villages, while thousands more are preparing to travel. As in previous years, the railways have made extensive preparations for Ganesh Chaturthi.Currently, the Vande Bharat Express is among the most popular trains of Indian Railways and is running on several routes across the country. Passenger response to the service has been overwhelming, leading the railways to increase the number of coaches on select routes.The railway administration has also decided to increase the number of coaches on the Mumbai–Goa Vande Bharat Express. It is reported that Central and Western Railway together are running total 380 Ganpati special trains for the convenience of Konkan devotees during Ganeshotsav.Despite these arrangements, many devotees have still been unable to secure reservations. To ease the rush, the Railways has decided to add eight additional coaches to the Mumbai–Goa Vande Bharat Express, making it a 16-coach train. This will provide more convenience to passengers travelling to Konkan.The first Vande Bharat Express on the Konkan Railway, and in Goa, was introduced in June 2023 from Margao. Since then, the train has gained immense popularity among domestic and international tourists seeking fast and comfortable travel.Also Read | Ganeshotsav 2025 Konkan Darshan: How to Apply Online for Ganpati Special Toll-Free Travel Passes; Check Dates and Restrictions.The train has consistently maintained around 95% occupancy since its inception, but the eight-coach configuration was unable to meet the demand, especially during weekends and holidays. While there has been demand to increase it to 16 or even 20 coaches, infrastructure limitations restricted such expansion until now.Considering the additional rush during Ganesh Chaturthi 2025, Central Railway has decided to temporarily convert Train No. 22229/22230 Mumbai–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express into a 16-coach service. The expanded train will run from Mumbai CSMT on August 25 (Monday), 27 (Wednesday) and 29 (Friday) from Madgaon on August 26 (Tuesday), 28 (Thursday) and 30 (Saturday). Reservations for the additional coaches will open soon.Currently, Konkan Railway following the monsoon time table due to which Mumbai–Goa Vande Bharat will run only for three days a week and not daily as superfast train as to maintain precaution speed limit during rains to avoid untoward incident such as derailment.Meanwhile, Indian Railways is expanding Vande Bharat services across Maharashtra. The Jalna–Mumbai Vande Bharat will soon be extended to Nanded and integrated with the Mumbai–Solapur Vande Bharat Express, with primary maintenance shifted to Nanded.While Konkan residents welcome this temporary relief, long-term expansion remains challenging. Neither Central nor Konkan Railway currently has the facility to maintain a 20-coach Vande Bharat. A dedicated depot for such maintenance is being set up at Wadi Bunder, with the project expected to take at least a year to complete.

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