A couple of trains are already connecting Mumbai and Goa, but the Vande Bharat will be the fastest to cover the journey in just seven hours, the Konkan Railway official told News18 on condition of anonymity
Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: The scenic Konkan Railways is expected to get its first Vande Bharat in June as the semi-high speed train between Mumbai and Goa is all set for its launch, officials said.
The trial for the train between Madgaon in Goa and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST) in Mumbai has been underway for the last few days. The train will likely transform the journey between India’s financial capital, Mumbai, and the tourism hub, Goa.
A couple of trains are already connecting Mumbai and Goa, but this train will be the fastest to cover the journey in just around seven hours, the Konkan Railway official told News18 on condition of anonymity. So far, the travel time between the two stations is about eight to nine hours minimum.
The official, however, refused to speak on the details of the expected inauguration date and the proposed route, saying, “these details are yet to be finalised”.
THE BEAUTY CALLED ‘KONKAN RAILWAY’
The Konkan Railways is considered to be one of the most scenic train journeys that connect Mumbai and Mangalore as it passes through Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.
It is a coastal strip of land bound by the Sahyadri Hills on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. The first train was flagged off on January 26, 1998, on the Konkan route. This year, it completed 25 years of service.
The total length of the Konkan Railways is around 750 km which also includes the Goa-Mumbai route. With 72 stations en route, the journey takes the train through rivers, valleys and mountains.
In the entire stretch, there are 91 tunnels covering a distance of 85 km. The longest tunnel in the route is the 6.5 km long Karbude Tunnel near Ratnagiri.
Further, the route also has 342 curves and 1,880 bridges, including 179 major bridges and 1,701 minor bridges. There are 372 road crossings as well. (News18)
