Mumbai-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Train Proposed: Railways Plans Route Merger for Faster Travel
Mumbai-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Train Proposed: Railways Plans Route Merger for Faster Travel
Mumbai, March 24: The Indian Railways is considering merging the existing Mumbai-Goa and Mangaluru-Goa Vande Bharat routes to introduce a direct Mumbai-Mangaluru service, reducing travel time to approximately 12 hours.
Proposed Schedule and Impact
As per a report by Mangalore Today, the Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat, which currently departs from Mumbai at 5:25 AM and reaches Goa at 1:10 PM, will extend to Mangaluru, arriving by 6:00 PM. Similarly, the Mangaluru-Goa service, which departs at 8:30 AM and reaches Goa at 1:10 PM, will continue to Mumbai, reaching at 9:00 PM.
Railway authorities believe this merger could enhance passenger convenience and boost occupancy rates. Initially, the Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat enjoyed a 90% occupancy rate, but this has now declined to around 70%, according to Mathrubhumi. Officials expect that a direct Mumbai-Mangaluru route will help restore high demand and ensure full capacity utilization.
Challenges and Opposition
However, concerns remain regarding platform congestion at Mumbai stations during evening hours, as multiple long-distance trains arrive simultaneously. This could create scheduling difficulties for the proposed extension.
Additionally, the Konkan Vikas Samithi, a Mumbai-based organization, had opposed the merging of the Mangaluru-Madgaon and Mumbai CSMT-Madgaon Vande Bharat services last year. They argued that such a move could reduce seat availability for passengers traveling between Mumbai and Madgaon.
The final decision on the route merger is yet to be announced.
