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The Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat initially saw 90% occupancy, but this has now dropped to around 70%.
This upgrade is expected to cut travel time to around 12 hours.
Indian Railways is planning a new Vande Bharat service that will directly link Mumbai and Mangaluru by combining the existing Mumbai-Goa and Mangaluru-Goa routes.
This upgrade is expected to cut travel time to just 12 hours as per Times Now.
Currently, the Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat departs at 5:25 am and reaches Goa at 1:10 pm. Under the new plan, the train will continue to Mangaluru, arriving at 6:00 pm. Likewise, the Mangaluru-Goa service, which starts at 8:30 am and reaches Goa at 1:10 pm, will extend to Mumbai, reaching by 9:00 pm.
Railway officials have raised concerns about evening congestion at Mumbai stations, as many long-distance trains arrive around the same time.
When first launched, the Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat enjoyed a 90 percent occupancy rate, but this has now dropped to around 70 percent.
Meanwhile, the much-awaited Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway (BCE) is now expected to be fully completed by June 2026, missing the earlier deadline of August 2025 due to ongoing construction work.
