Mumbai to Goa Train: Vande Bharat and Konkan Kanya

For a daytime ride, take the Vande Bharat Express: on the current monsoon timetable, 22229 leaves Mumbai CSMT at 05:25 and reaches Madgaon at 16:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 22230 runs back from Madgaon at 12:20 to CSMT at 22:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.^[1] For a berth, take the daily Konkan Kanya Express 20111, which leaves CSMT at 23:02 and arrives in Madgaon at 11:40 the next day.^[1]

These are monsoon times. Konkan Railway's monsoon timetable runs from 15 June to 20 October 2026, with speed restrictions along the route.^[2] The non-monsoon timetable starts on 21 October 2026, and times shift: the new daily 15087 to Sawantwadi Road, for example, leaves at the same 23:55 but arrives later, at 14:15 instead of 13:50.^[3] Expect other trains to change as well and confirm on the operator's schedule page.

Which train to take

Six regular trains connect Mumbai and Madgaon in each direction on the monsoon timetable. The Jan Shatabdi Express (12051) leaves CSMT at 05:10 and arrives at 16:40 every day.^[1] The Tejas Express (22119) leaves at 05:50 and arrives at 17:20 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and 22120 returns on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.^[1] The Mandovi Express (10103) leaves at 07:10 and arrives at 21:55 daily, which makes it the slowest option at 14 hours 45 minutes.^[1] The Mangaluru Express (12133) leaves at 21:54 and reaches Madgaon at 09:00, and continues south to Mangaluru.^[1]

The Vande Bharat, Tejas and Jan Shatabdi are maintained by Central Railway, while Konkan Railway handles their running over its line.^[4]

Classes and berths

The Vande Bharat is a chair car train only. At its launch in 2023 it ran with 8 coaches: five chair cars and one executive chair car.^[5] The Tejas had 11 AC chair cars, one executive chair car and two vistadome coaches from April 2023.^[6]

The Konkan Kanya Express carries the widest mix of berth classes. Its 23 LHB coaches include one composite First AC and 2 Tier AC coach, one 2 Tier AC, four 3 Tier AC, three 3 Tier Economy, seven Sleeper and four General coaches, plus a pantry car.^[7] General coaches are unreserved seating.

How to book

Reserved tickets open 60 days before the journey, not counting the travel day.^[8] You can book on the IRCTC website, at any passenger reservation counter, or through IRCTC.^[3]

Foreign visitors can use the Foreign Tourist Quota on IRCTC. It needs a registered account with a verified international mobile number, a passport number for each passenger, and accepts international debit and credit cards.^[9] Bookings under this quota open up to 365 days ahead, and the classes offered are Executive Chair Car, 1A, 2A, 3A, AC Chair Car, Sleeper and Second Sitting.^[9] IRCTC charges a registration fee of Rs 100 plus GST for international users.^[9]

Stations and stops

Trains leave from Mumbai CSMT and most also stop at Dadar, Thane and Panvel, which is useful if you live in the suburbs or Navi Mumbai.^[1] In Goa, the Vande Bharat, Jan Shatabdi, Mandovi and Konkan Kanya stop at Thivim, the closest of these stations to north Goa, and then at Karmali before ending in Madgaon.^[1] The Tejas skips Thivim but stops at Karmali.^[1] Madgaon is the station for south Goa.

Disruptions in the rain

During the monsoon, loco pilots slow trains to 40 km/h in low visibility and stop them if water rises more than 100 mm above rail level, and services resume only after it recedes.^[2] Live running status is on the Konkan Railway website or the helpline 139.^[2]

The ride

The 741 km Konkan line runs between the Sahyadri hills and the Arabian Sea and crosses many rivers and valleys.^[10] It has 91 tunnels, the longest 6.5 km near Ratnagiri.^[11] The Vande Bharat and the Jan Shatabdi cover the stretch in daylight, so they are the trains for looking out of the window.