Travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will be shorter from March; Vande Bharat and Shatabdi train to run 30 minutes faster

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad route currently takes around 5.15 hours for Vande Bharat trains and 6.35 hours for Shatabdi trains.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat and Shatabdi class trains are on the cusp of a major milestone in March, with plans to reach a maximum speed of 160 kmph. This development is part of Mission Raftar, a strategic initiative aimed at increasing train speed and efficiency. Increasing the speed of these trains is expected to reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad by 30 minutes.

The distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is approximately 534 kilometers. There are several ways to travel between these two cities, including trains, buses and flights. The fastest way to travel between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is to take a flight, which takes around 2 hours. The cheapest way to travel is to take the night train, which takes about 8 hours and 10 minutes.

From March 2024, you can save around two hours on your journey time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad as the Western Railway is in the final stages of an infrastructure and technical upgrade, which once completed will allow trains to travel at a speed of up to 160 to ride. kilometers per hour. Currently, trains between the two cities take about six to eight hours.

Impact on travel time

Currently, the speed limit between Virar and Churchgate varies from 100 to 110 kmph. With the expected speed increase to 160 kmph, the travel time for the Vande Bharat and Shatabdi trains will reduce significantly. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad route currently takes around 5.15 hours for Vande Bharat trains and 6.35 hours for Shatabdi trains. This initiative reduces travel time by almost 30 minutes. The speed upgrade not only improves the efficiency of these journeys, but also provides passengers with a faster and more convenient travel experience.

Project details and upgrades

The speed improvement project includes a series of upgrades to existing infrastructure. These upgrades include track improvements, bridge improvements, installation of advanced signaling systems and the implementation of an advanced train collision avoidance system. The primary goal of these improvements is to double the average speed of freight trains and increase the speed of superfast, mail and express trains by 25 km/h, ultimately improving the overall efficiency of the rail network.

The Western Railways is carrying out work on two corridors: Mumbai to Nagda and Vadodara to Ahmedabad, at a cost of Rs. 3,950 million.

Exclusions and considerations

It is important to note that the speed upgrade is not applicable to suburban trains in Mumbai. This exclusion is mainly due to the high volume of local train traffic in the area and on specific routes with challenging terrain. While the focus remains on improving the speed of long-distance trains, the local train network will continue to operate at current speeds to ensure the safety and efficiency of daily commuters.