GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 3rd Sept: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday flagged off the inaugural service of a new daily train between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Sawantwadi Road, strengthening direct rail connectivity between Mumbai and the Konkan region.
The approximately 510-km service will connect several important towns across Konkan, with stoppages covering key locations in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.
Vaishnaw said the new service fulfils a long-standing demand of people in Mumbai and Konkan. He said 350 special trains are being operated this year for passenger movement during Ganesh Utsav, with arrangements to increase the number to 370 if required.
Goyal said the daily service would provide a safe, fast and reliable travel option for lakhs of people and strengthen economic and social links between Mumbai and Konkan. He said improved connectivity would benefit students, employees, families, traders and local producers, while better freight movement could help fishermen and other producers transport goods to Mumbai more quickly.
Goyal also said enhanced connectivity could create employment opportunities in Konkan and reduce the need for young people to migrate in search of work. Improved access to Mumbai’s educational and healthcare facilities would also benefit people from the region.
Shinde described the new service as a major gift for the people of Konkan, migrant workers and devotees travelling to their native places during Ganesh Utsav. He also highlighted the completion of electrification of the 741-km Konkan Railway route, saying it has enabled more environment-friendly journeys and increased train speeds.
The train will depart from CSMT at 11:55 pm and reach Sawantwadi Road at 2:15 pm the following day. On the return journey, it will leave Sawantwadi Road at 5:20 pm and arrive at CSMT at 6:40 am the next morning.
Operating as Train No. 15087/15088 CSMT-Sawantwadi Road Express, the service will stop at Dadar, Thane, Panvel, Pen, Roha, Mangaon, Veer, Khed, Chiplun, Savarda, Aravali Road, Sangameshwar Road, Ratnagiri, Adavali, Vilavade, Rajapur Road, Vaibhavwadi Road, Nandgaon, Kankavli, Sindhudurg, Kudal and Sawantwadi Road.
The service is expected to support tourism and regional economic activity by improving access to destinations across Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. It will operate with an LHB rake, providing modern passenger coaches.
Vaishnaw also highlighted railway projects worth around ₹18,000 crore underway in Mumbai to increase suburban rail capacity. He said platforms are being extended to accommodate 15-coach trains and signalling systems are being upgraded.
He said 238 new AC local train rakes have been sanctioned for Mumbai, with delivery of the first rake expected to begin in 2027.
The Railway Minister further said the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors were now 100% complete and referred to the proposed East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor from Dankuni to Surat.
On the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, Vaishnaw said work was progressing rapidly, including construction of the undersea rail tunnel connecting BKC and Thane.
