Indian Railways has flagged off the first Amrit Bharat Express from Mumbai, connecting Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) to Saharsa in Bihar.
Touted as an affordable, non-air-conditioned, high-speed alternative, this push-pull train features modern, vestibule-style sleeper coaches and two locomotives—one at each end—allowing seamless bidirectional travel and eliminating the need for locomotive reversals.
The train, one of 50 being manufactured at Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory and among just three operating nationwide, is part of Indian Railways’ attempt to democratise fast inter-city rail access while reducing dependency on older ICF rakes. Designed to operate at a top speed of 130 kmph, the coaches come equipped with LED lighting, CCTV coverage, mobile charging points, ergonomically designed luggage racks, and improved ventilation—signalling a shift towards more dignified travel for unreserved and sleeper-class passengers.
Yet, the roll-out has provoked intense scrutiny and pushback from transport activists and commuters alike, who argue that the train’s route—via Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Danapur, Buxar, and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (formerly Mughalsarai)—adds redundancy to an already saturated Mumbai–Bihar corridor. Many believe the train would have delivered far greater operational and social value had it been assigned to neglected intra-state corridors within Maharashtra or underperforming routes to the southern metros.“Deploying Amrit Bharat trains on lines like the Kolhapur–Nagpur or Pune–Amravati would’ve saved over two hours in travel time due to elimination of up to four locomotive reversals,” said Piyush Sangapurkar, a Pune-based commuter and Solapur native. These lines, often running at over 200% occupancy, connect vital cities and pilgrimage centres but continue to rely on outdated, reversal-heavy configurations. Push-pull technology, like that of Amrit Bharat, offers a ready solution—yet remains unimplemented where it is needed most.
Activists are also raising flags over the use of valuable maintenance slots in Mumbai’s overburdened suburban network. “This new train will clash with suburban services between Kasara and Kalyan, and possibly up to Thane. Ironically, the same authorities cite congestion as a reason for not restoring long-standing passenger services within Maharashtra,” said Akshay Mahapadi, a railway commuter activist.Moreover, glaring gaps remain in connecting Mumbai to major southern cities like Bengaluru and Chennai through modern, fast services. Despite fully electrified, double-tracked corridors and capacity to support 130 kmph operations, trains on these sectors still take over 22 hours, running at sluggish average speeds of 56 kmph. The absence of premium options like Amrit Bharat or Vande Bharat sleeper variants on these corridors points to a mismatch between infrastructure readiness and service allocation.
While the Amrit Bharat Express embodies a forward-looking approach to rail mobility, its utility will depend significantly on the corridors it is deployed on. In a country where public transport remains a backbone of economic participation, particularly for the working class and regional migrants, every rake, every slot, and every route has the potential to empower—or exclude.By bypassing underserved regions of Maharashtra and underperforming corridors between major metros, this launch reveals more than a new train—it underscores an ongoing challenge in Indian Railways’ planning: the urgent need for data-driven, socially equitable, and sustainability-focused infrastructure deployment.
As the city welcomes this new addition to its rail network, the spotlight now shifts to whether future Amrit Bharat services will follow routes that genuinely transform travel—not just politically, but practically
also read : https://urbanacres.in/expressway-promises-economic-upliftment/
Mumbai First Amrit Bharat Express Rolls Out
