Prime Minister Modi will virtually inaugurate the Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat train on Saturday

According to officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the first journey of the Goa-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express from Madgaon railway station on Saturday morning. This will be the 19th semi-high speed Vande Bharat train in the country, the fourth one to operate from Mumbai, and the fifth one from Maharashtra. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will also be present at the Madgaon railway station for the event. The Prime Minister will initiate the journey through a video link at around 10.45 am, and the train is expected to arrive in Mumbai at approximately 6:30 pm.

Unlike the usual 16-coach configuration, the Vande Bharat train on the Mumbai-Goa route will have eight coaches. Currently, 16-coach Vande Bharat trains operate on the CSMT-Sainagar Shirdi, CSMT-Solapur, Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad routes, and another train runs between Nagpur and Bilaspur. The regular service of the Mumbai-Goa train is anticipated to begin next week, operating six days a week except on Fridays.

Although the exact timetable has not been released, it is likely that the train will depart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai at 5.25 am and arrive at Madgaon at 1.15 pm. On the same day, it will depart from Madgaon at 2.35 pm and reach CSMT at 10.25 pm. The train is expected to make stops at seven stations: Dadar, Thane, Panvel, Khed, Ratnagiri, Kankawali, and Thivim. During a trial run between CSMT and Madgaon on May 16, the train covered the distance in approximately seven hours.