The Namo Express carrying more than 1,500 Ganeshotsav passengers from Mumbai to Konkan departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Saturday, as the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation completed advance reservations for 5,743 additional buses for the festival travel period.
The special train was stationed at platform 18 of CSMT and left at 11.05 am after Mumbai BJP president and MLA Amit Satam flagged it off. The train was headed towards Sawantwadi, with more than 1,500 devotees travelling to Konkan to celebrate Ganeshotsav with their families.
A large crowd had gathered at CSMT from the morning, according to the report. The station area echoed with chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya” after the train departed. The additional train service has been arranged to provide another transport option for people travelling from Mumbai to Konkan during the festival period.
The initiative has been organised by the Lodha Foundation. Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha said the annual arrangement of special trains and buses was intended to help people who live in Mumbai for work and business return to Konkan and celebrate the festival with their families. He also said the initiative was being carried out under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Another special train has been scheduled to leave at 11 pm on Saturday, providing an additional rail option for passengers travelling towards Konkan. Separately, five special buses left from August Kranti Maidan at 5 pm on Friday. More than 200 devotees from south Mumbai travelled to Konkan on those buses.
The state transport undertaking has also arranged additional bus capacity for the festival rush. Across the Mumbai region, covering Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Ratnagiri divisions, reservations for 5,743 additional buses between September 10 and 13 have been completed. The fleet includes 4,863 regular buses and 880 Jijau buses.
The combination of special rail services and additional state transport buses is intended to manage the seasonal movement of passengers from Mumbai and neighbouring urban districts towards Konkan. The announced services cover both long-distance rail travel and road-based connections during the main festival travel window.
