Central Railway’s First Vande Bharat Express To Run On Mumbai-Shirdi Route; Will Cut Travel Time By Six Hours

The first Vande Bharat Express train to be introduced in the Central Railway Zone will run between Mumbai and Shirdi, covering a total distance of 291 kilometres, reports Hindustan Times. The travel time between the two locations will be cut short by a whopping six hours, from nine hours to only three.

As Shirdi is an important Hindu pilgrimage site, the massive reduction in travel time will help a large number of devotees make the journey more conveniently.

The proposed routes which are presently being considered are Pune/Daund or on the other hand, Manmad. It is likely that the train will make the return journey from Shirdi within the same day.

“Mumbai-Shirdi route for Train18 operation on Central Railway was decided after consultation with the Railway board officials. The final route decision will be taken soon,” said an official with Central Railway.

Interestingly, Vande Bharat Express will also be soon introduced to cover the New Delhi-Katra route, making for a much easier journey for pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine.