PANAJI
The maiden journey of the Margao-Mumbai Vande Bharat Train which Prime Minister Modi will flag off from the Margao station, albeit virtually via video conferencing, has been put off due to the Odisha train disaster.
The Vande Bharat Express train will be an additional feather in the cap of Konkan Railway, the line that connects three states and has a chequered history in Goa since it was commissioned in the mid-1990s -- praised for easing travel in the Konkan but critiqued for the ounce of contribution to the demographic decadence of the State.
Mumbai's CST station to the Margao railway station is the route of this 19th Vande Bharat Express. These trains are indigenously produced and equipped with world-class amenities besides advanced safety features.
It promises to cover the journey in 7.5 hours and the train which has eight coaches will operate six days a week, barring Fridays. It will make seven halts: Dadar, Thane, Panvel, Khed, Ratnagiri, Kankawali and Thivim.
As per the schedule released by the railway authorities, regular operations were slated to commence next week, with the start time at 5.25 am from the CST station and arrival time of 1.15 pm at Margao. The return journey has a Margao departure at 2.35 pm and arrival at CST station at 10.25 pm.
While the journey promises to be attractive with the Konkan Railway route's serene and lush green scenes, the Vande Bharat trains will also face the challenges of the terrains dotted by hills and mountains, rivers and gorges, especially in the June-August months when the monsoons batter the region and make railway safety a herculean task.
