Railway Minister Flags Off CSMT to Sawantwadi Road Daily Express

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday flagged off a new daily express connecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai with Sawantwadi Road. Vaishnaw attended the flagging-off ceremony via video conferencing, stating that the new train addresses a long-standing public demand for a direct rail link between Mumbai and the Konkan region.

The 510-kilometre service provides an overnight connection between the city and Konkan, operating with multiple stoppages across Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts. Under the announced schedule, the train leaves CSMT at 11:55 pm and reaches Sawantwadi Road at 2:15 pm the following day.

For the return journey, the train departs from Sawantwadi Road at 5:20 pm and arrives back at CSMT at 6:40 am. Along with the regular service, Vaishnaw announced that the Railways is operating 350 special trains this year to manage the festival rush, with provisions to scale up the count to 370 services if demand requires.

Vaishnaw also outlined major infrastructure initiatives across Mumbai's suburban network, revealing that projects valued at around Rs 18,000 crore are currently underway to augment transit capacity and improve amenities for commuters.

According to the minister, railway authorities are systematically lengthening platforms built for 12-coach trains to accommodate longer 15-coach rakes, with extension work already completed at several locations. Vaishnaw also highlighted ongoing modernisation of Mumbai’s signalling network, noting that upgraded systems will help increase suburban train frequency and enhance operational efficiency.