Indian Railways has decided to permanently increased the coach capacity of the Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express from 16 to 20 coaches, with the change coming into effect from journeys commencing from 28 April 2026.
The augmentation adds four additional coaches – three AC Chair Car and one Executive Class – aimed at improving seat availability on one of India’s busiest inter-city routes.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Railways on Thursday, 27 April, the decision is a direct response to the sustained and overwhelming demand the service has witnessed since its introduction.
“What began as a temporary augmentation to address peak travel requirements has now been formalised into a permanent operational arrangement, a reflection of Indian Railways’ commitment to matching its capacity with the confidence its passengers have placed in it,” the ministry added.
The 491 Km corridor connects Mumbai Central and Ahmedabad in 5 hours 30 minutes, with halts at Borivali, Vapi, Surat and Vadodara.
The route serves a wide range of passengers including business travellers, students, daily commuters and tourists.
According to the ministry, the move reflects a broader trend of rising demand across the Vande Bharat network.
Nearly 4 crore passengers travelled on Vande Bharat services in FY 2025-26, registering a year-on-year growth of around 34 per cent.
Since its launch in 2019, the service has carried over 9.1 crore passengers across 1 lakh trips, with occupancy levels consistently exceeding 100 per cent.
Across the network, 162 Vande Bharat services are currently operational. Of these, 38 services now run with 20-coach formations, 34 operate with 16 coaches, while 90 services continue with 8-coach configurations.
This translates to approximately 23.45 per cent of services upgraded to 20 coaches and about 21 per cent operating with 16 coaches.
The expansion of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad service is part of a wider effort by Indian Railways to align capacity with demand on high-traffic corridors.
The growing popularity of Vande Bharat trains has been driven by faster journey times, improved punctuality, and upgraded onboard experience compared to conventional services.
The trains are equipped with features such as automatic plug doors, ergonomic reclining seats, mobile charging sockets and CCTV-based surveillance systems. Executive Class coaches include revolving seats, while onboard amenities include a mini pantry with hot case, bottle cooler, deep freezer and hot water boiler.
Safety systems such as KAVACH, along with fully sealed gangways for better stability and dedicated facilities for Divyangjan passengers, are also part of the design.
