The Central Railway is planning to increase the popularity of the wider view vistadome train coaches in the picturesque Mumbai-Goa Konkan belt, after receiving a huge response on the scenic Pune Western Ghats section. The vistadome coaches, which have huge windows and transparent roofs allowing a hindrance-free view of the surroundings, have become popular among passengers on the 21 km long Bhor ghat section between Mumbai and Pune.

This is one of the steepest ghats in the country with 28 tunnels and provides a breath-taking view of the Sahyadri mountains, the Ulhas river valley and surrounding areas. Now, the Central Railway (CR) is planning to attach one more vistadome coach to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-Madgaon Tejas Express, one the premium trains on the Mumbai-Goa route, before this year end.

Whether it is the breath-taking views of valleys, rivers and waterfalls along the Mumbai-Goa route or the spectacular views of the Western Ghats along the Mumbai-Pune route, these coaches with glass rooftops and wide window panes have proved to be a hit, CR’s chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said.

The vistadome coaches also have other attractions like LED lights, rotatable seats and pushback chairs and electrically operated automatic sliding compartment doors. The viewing gallery having big glass windows on three sides is one of the biggest attractions of these coaches, according to railway officials, and passengers love to click photographs and selfies from it.

The Konkan belt offers a stunning view of waterfalls, rivers, valleys, tunnels, lush green fields and creeks.
The CR had introduced its first vistadome coach on the Mumbai-Goa route in 2018.The CSMT-Madgaon Janshatabdi Express was the first train to run with the vistadome coach attached at its rear end.

After its huge popularity, the CR attached vistadome coaches to the Deccan Express train on the Mumbai-Pune route from 26, June, 2021. Looking at its success, the railway recently attached such coaches to the Deccan Queen and Pragati Express on the Mumbai-Pune route. Currently, the CR operates five pairs of trains, including the Janshatabdi Express, with vistadome coaches, as per railway officials.

According to the CR, nearly 32,000 passengers have enjoyed travelling in the vistadome coaches of trains on the Mumbai-Goa and Mumbai-Pune routes in the current financial year 2022-23, adding a revenue of INR four crore till 10, August 2022.