The Vande Bharat Express on the Jalna-Mumbai route will have four halts, according to the proposed timetable released by the South Central Railway (SCR).The express train, whose launch date will be announced, will halt at Aurangabad, Manmad, Nashik and Thane railway stations.
It will leave Jalna at 5.05 am and reach Aurangabad at 5.53 am, Nashik at 8.38 am, Thane at 11.10 am, and finally Mumbai at 11.55 am. The train will have a 2-minute halt at each station.On the return journey, the Vande Bharat Express will leave Mumbai at 1.10 pm, and reach Thane at 1.40pm, Nashik at 4.28pm, Aurangabad at 7.08 pm, and Jalna by 8.30 pm.
The superfast train is expected to take six hours to reach Mumbai from the Aurangabad station, usually due to the track conditions and congestion attributed to the train’s relatively slow speed. Public relations officer of the Nanded division of SCR, Rajesh Shinde, said Vande Bharat Express on the Jalna-Mumbai route would run on weekdays except Friday.
“The Railway Board has given a green signal for the Vande Bharat Express for Marathwada. The train is expected to be flagged off before the year-end. The launch date will be made public, shortly,” he said.
Welcoming the start of Vande Bharat Express in Marathwada, railway activist Anant Borkar said the railway authorities should consider the evening timings for the train departure.
“The Vande Bharat train primarily aims to cater to tourists. After sightseeing in Mumbai, tourists can board the train during evening hours. The existing departure timing is not suitable for tourists,” he said.
When contacted, SCR authorities said the feedback on the timing of the train would be conveyed to the top authorities.