'These' Konkan-Bound Express Trains Have Been Discontinued

The Diva-Ratnagiri and Diva-Dadar routes were closed due to capacity constraints. Despite this, the Central Railway has launched special trains on the same route, including the Dadar-Gorakhpur (four days a week) and Dadar-Balia (three days a week) services. These trains, now part of the permanent schedule, have been included in the new timetable effective January 1.

Passenger Opposition
The Konkan Railway Passenger Association has strongly opposed the decision to reroute trains from Konkan and Mumbai to destinations outside Maharashtra. Akshay Mhapadi, Secretary of the association, highlighted that the Ratnagiri-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus passenger train, operational since 1996-97, was discontinued in September 2021, citing route capacity issues during the pandemic.

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Although a Diva-Ratnagiri passenger train was introduced in the zero-based schedule, it continues to face timing issues. The lack of water refill facilities at Diva and delays during transit have increased passenger suffering. The shift of starting operations from Dadar to Diva has added more delays instead of improving travel times.

Discontinued Services
Several trains, including the Mumbai-Kolhapur Sahyadri Express, Bhusawal-Mumbai Passenger, Pune-Karjat-Panvel Passenger, and Manmad-Mumbai Godavari Express, were also discontinued under the zero-based schedule.

Call for Action
Akshay Mhapadi has urged the railway administration to retain existing trains serving Maharashtra and Konkan Railway passengers instead of diverting them. He emphasised the need to address the train shortages in the region while allowing space for new experiments without inconveniencing current passengers.