12 October,2023 09:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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In response to the immense travel demand generated by cricket fans heading to the India-Pakistan World Cup match on October 14, the Western Railway (WR) has unveiled an additional pair of superfast special trains between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, stated a PTI report.
The bookings for these special trains, each accommodating over 1,500 seats, are set to commence on October 13, 2023. Travellers can secure their tickets at all reservation counters and through the official Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website.
An initial announcement by the WR on Wednesday introduced a pair of superfast special trains to connect the two cities for the highly awaited cricketing encounter between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. However, the remarkable response from enthusiastic fans led to the rapid booking of all available tickets in under 20 minutes, according to railway officials, stated the report.
The much-anticipated marquee game is scheduled to take place at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with the match set to commence at 2 pm local time.
Sumit Thakur, Chief Public Relations Officer of WR, disclosed that the decision to introduce an additional pair of superfast special trains was prompted by the overwhelming response received for the initially announced trains.
According to a release by WR, the Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad special train, numbered 09015, will depart from Mumbai at 11:20 pm on Friday and reach Ahmedabad at 7:20 am the following day. For the return journey, the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central special train, identified as 09016, will leave Ahmedabad at 2 am on Sunday and arrive at Mumbai Central at 10:30 am on the same day.
These special trains are equipped with AC 3-tier, sleeper class, and second-class coaches to cater to diverse passenger preferences. They are scheduled to halt at key stations such as Dadar, Borivali, Palghar, Vapi, Valsad, Navsari, Surat, and Vadodara in both directions, ensuring that cricket fans have convenient access to transportation options as they embark on this thrilling journey to the match venue.
Bomb threat to Narendra Modi Stadium
Recently, a native of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar sent a threatening email to the police saying a blast would take place at Narendra Modi stadium on October 14. He was later arrested by the Ahmedabad Police.
