27 August,2024 07:40 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Representative Image/ Aditya Kambli
The Railways on Tuesday announced a permanent new bi-weekly train from Bandra-Borivali and Goa making it easier for those travelling on the Konkan Railway and beyond. The train has been in demand from commuters in the western suburbs.
The new train is likely to be flagged off later this week, likely on August 29, at 1 pm. The train schedule, once the service is inaugurated, is going to be as follows: the train will start from Bandra Terminus at 6.50 am and will reach Madgaon in Goa at 10 pm. Similarly, the return train will depart from Madgaon at 7.40 am and will return to Bandra Terminus at 11.40 pm.
The train will have halts at Borivali, Vasai, Bhiwandi, Panvel, Roha, Veer, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Kankavli, Sindhudurg, Sawantwadi, Thivim and Karmali.
Passengers welcomed the train but said that the Konkan Railway should have given halts at more stations within their limits. "This is like any other train. It should have been given halts at more stations like Sangameshwar etc, similar to the ones like Diva-Ratnagiri train. The Mainline EMU train plan announced earlier was much better," commuter activist Akshay Mahapadi said.
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"The new train is highly anticipated, as it will establish a vital link between Borivali on the Western Railway and various destinations along the Konkan Railway. To ensure that this service benefits the maximum number of passengers, we kindly request that you consider providing halts at maximum stations over the Konkan Railway route, similar to those of the existing 10105/10106 Sawantwadi Diva Express. Introducing these halts from the inception of the service would greatly enhance its accessibility and convenience for passengers travelling from various stations along the Konkan Railway. Adding these halts at a later stage can often be a cumbersome process involving numerous follow-ups, which we hope to avoid," Jayawant Shankar Darekar of the Konkan Vikas Samiti, said.
