Passengers from Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan and neighbouring areas have sought a new daily express train between Mumbai CSMT and Kolhapur, citing overcrowding and limited ticket availability on existing services.
The demand was submitted in a memorandum to Kalyan-Dombivli MP Dr Shrikant Shinde and senior railway officials, according to a report by Loksatta – Thane published on September 10. Passengers have asked the railway administration to consider operating an additional daily service on the route.
The Mumbai–Kolhapur corridor is currently served by trains including the Koyna Express and Mahalaxmi Express. The report said these services are used by residents travelling for work, business and visits to religious destinations in Kolhapur district.
According to the passengers cited in the report, seats on the existing trains are often reserved several months in advance. Regular commuters therefore face difficulty obtaining confirmed tickets and may have to travel in crowded general coaches, including standing for parts of the journey.
The demand also affects residents of the Kolhapur region who now live in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi and Navi Mumbai for employment or business. The report said many of them travel to their hometowns every 15 days or once a month, but cancel trips when tickets are unavailable. Families travelling together face additional difficulty in securing seats.
Kolhapur is a major pilgrimage destination, and passengers from the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region regularly travel there for religious visits. The memorandum has asked railway authorities to assess passenger demand and introduce a daily CSMT–Kolhapur express service. No decision or implementation timeline from the railway administration was included in the report.
