Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat runs shorter than a city local; pressure mounts to double its coaches

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Amidst a surge in holiday travel, the popular Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat Express is facing intense scrutiny for its surprisingly short formation. Operating with just eight coaches, the premium service is now shorter than a standard Mumbai local train, which typically runs with 12 or 15 cars.

This limited capacity has ignited a fresh demand from passenger groups for an urgent expansion of the rake to alleviate overcrowding and lengthy waiting lists.

Launched with much fanfare by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference in June 2023, the service (Train 22229–22230) has been consistently popular on the vital Konkan corridor. However, its compact size is increasingly at odds with its demand.

According to a report by Mid-Day, recent occupancy figures reveal the scale of the issue. On its journey from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Madgaon, the train has been running at a remarkable 101.2% overall occupancy, with its Chair Car exceeding 101%. The return journey from Goa to Mumbai also maintains a high average occupancy of 88.71%.

The long-pending public demand to upgrade the train from eight coaches to 16 or 20 continues to be ignored, according to commuter activist Akshay Mahapadi cited by Mid-Day, who highlighted the train's crucial role and its consistent record of very high occupancy on the Mumbai-Konkan-Goa corridor.

Passenger advocates argue that a key opportunity for augmentation has emerged. The recent transfer of maintenance for two other Vande Bharat services to the Nanded Division has freed up maintenance slots in Mumbai. This, they contend, makes an expansion operationally feasible.

Proposed solutions include shifting the train’s primary maintenance base to Madgaon in Goa, a move they say would circumvent pit line constraints in Mumbai and technically enable a 16 or 20-coach rake.

The Central Railway spokesperson reportedly confirmed the route's popularity and the desire to increase coaches, but cited a supply bottleneck, stating that while they definitely want to increase the coaches, they do not have an additional rake at the moment and are waiting for a new one from the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

The pressure for a longer train is particularly acute with festive periods like Christmas and New Year on the horizon, where capacity shortages are felt most sharply. An expansion would not only improve passenger comfort and accessibility but also significantly boost railway revenues on one of its most profitable western routes.