New CSMT-Sawantwadi Express Flagged Off With Scheduled Halt at Thane
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday flagged off the new daily CSMT–Sawantwadi Road Express, introducing an overnight service with a scheduled halt at Thane. The train service covers approximately 510 kilometres, linking Mumbai to towns across the Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts.
According to the official schedule, the train departs from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) at 11:55 pm and arrives at Sawantwadi Road at 2:15 pm the following day. On its return journey, the express leaves Sawantwadi Road at 5:20 pm and reaches CSMT at 6:40 am the next morning. In addition to Thane, designated halts include Dadar, Panvel, Roha, Mangaon, Khed, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Rajapur Road, Kankavli, Sindhudurg, and Kudal.
Vaishnaw said the daily express addresses a long-standing travel demand from residents of both Mumbai and the Konkan belt. He also noted that Indian Railways is making preparations for the upcoming Ganesh Utsav, indicating that the number of festive special train services could be expanded to more than 370 if passenger demand requires it.
Goyal stated that the regular service would reinforce social and economic connections between the two regions, assisting workers, students, traders, and families. He noted that faster transit will benefit local producers and fishermen transporting merchandise to Mumbai markets, while providing wider backing to regional employment and tourism.
The launch coincides with ongoing infrastructure works in the Mumbai railway network. Vaishnaw stated that capacity-enhancement projects valued at roughly ₹18,000 crore are currently underway, which include upgrading signalling systems and lengthening platforms to accommodate 15-coach suburban trains.
Vaishnaw added that 238 air-conditioned suburban rakes have been sanctioned, with deliveries of the initial rake scheduled to start in 2027. Electrification of the 741-kilometre Konkan Railway route has been completed, while construction work on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project, including the undersea tunnel between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Thane, continues to progress.
