Maharashtra: Passengers protest Valsad halt, say MMR stations deserve priority

The recent decision to halt the prestigious Vande Bharat Express (20901/20902) at Valsad railway station has triggered a debate among rail passengers and observers. With data showing lower earnings at Valsad compared to several nearby stations, including Palghar, Vapi, and Navsari, many are left questioning the criteria and transparency behind the allocation of halts on India’s premium train services. The train already had a halt at Vapi, which is just 24 km away, and yet Valsad was granted a stop — excluding the entire 140-km stretch between Borivli and Vapi.

Hrudaynath Mhatre

‘Fairness in question’

Prathamesh Prabhutendolkar, member of Dahanu Vaitarna Pravasi Sevabhavi Sanstha, told mid-day, “The issue here is not with Valsad receiving a halt. Rather, it’s about ensuring that halt-related decisions are based on merit, demand, and data — not political proximity or regional influence. When a premium service like Vande Bharat, designed for speed and efficiency, is made to halt every few kilometres in one state, and completely ignores a stretch of over 100 km in another, the fairness of the process naturally comes into question. The Palghar district, home to several growing towns and railway stations like Palghar, Boisar, Dahanu Road, Virar, remains devoid of any halt for Vande Bharat, despite having higher ticket revenue at key stations like Palghar. This disparity raises concerns about how halt decisions are made and whether genuine passenger demand is being adequately represented.”

Prathamesh Prabhutendolkar and Pratik Patil, commuter

Pratik Patil, who commutes daily between Palghar and Mumbai Central, said that as India expands its high-speed rail ambitions, transparency in such decisions becomes not just desirable, but necessary. “For now, passengers and railway stakeholders across the Palghar district are left wondering what it really takes to earn a halt on a train like Vande Bharat?” said Patil.

MP’s influence

According to railway sources, the halt was granted after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw approved a request made by the local Member of Parliament from Valsad. While local political representations are part of railway decisions, the absence of a revenue-based justification has raised concerns about inconsistency and a possible pattern of preferential treatment.

Himanshu Vartak, Palghar-based commuter activist

Palghar-based commuter activist Himanshu Vartak added, “Revenue figures indicate that Palghar consistently outperforms Valsad in terms of earnings. Even Navsari, a recent entrant in the list of halts, has managed to record earnings amounting to Rs 15.79 lakh, suggesting there is space for performance-driven halt additions. Despite such figures, the entire Palghar district continues to be bypassed, while new halts are introduced.”

Hrudaynath Mhatre, former WR Mumbai Divisional Railway Users’ Committee member said, “A larger concern is the growing pattern of Vande Bharat Express making stops every 20 to 30 km within Gujarat, while in contrast, Maharashtra has a non-stop stretch of nearly 140 km — from Borivli to Vapi — with no halt in the entire Palghar district.”

Official Speak

WR officials said there is much pressure on the Virar-Dahanu section due to the presence of a large number of trains, including suburban and freight movement. “There are limitations at present due to just two lines, and the project to quadruple a 63-km stretch of lines between Virar and Dahanu is currently on at a rapid stage. Once the section is quadrupled and the freight corridor is functional, there will be a possibility of providing more services and the options of more halts might be explored,” a WR spokesperson said.