The Konkan Vikas Samiti has asked the Railway Board, Central Railway and Konkan Railway to increase the Mumbai–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express from its current eight coaches to 20 before the Ganeshotsav travel season, citing heavy passenger demand for Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
The committee said a large number of people travel from Mumbai and surrounding areas to their native villages in Konkan during the festival period. It added that many trains on the Konkan route typically face long waiting lists during the season, making additional seating capacity a priority for passengers.
The Mumbai–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express serves stations including Khed, Ratnagiri and Kankavli, as well as important destinations in Goa. According to the committee, the train’s present eight-coach configuration limits the number of passengers it can carry despite demand along the route.
The request to make the service a permanent 20-coach train has also been made previously, the committee said. It has now urged the railway authorities to take an immediate decision so that the expanded service can be made available before Ganeshotsav.
The committee also cited changes in the ownership and primary maintenance responsibilities of the Nanded–Mumbai and Solapur–Mumbai Vande Bharat services. Those responsibilities have moved to the Nanded division of South Central Railway, it said, reducing the maintenance burden on Mumbai and creating an opportunity to increase the coach composition of the Mumbai–Madgaon service.
The request has been addressed to the Railway Ministry, Railway Board, Central Railway and Konkan Railway administration. The report does not state that any of these authorities has approved the proposal or announced a timetable for adding coaches. The committee said an increase to 20 coaches would provide relief to thousands of passengers travelling to Konkan during the festival period.
