Pune, 28th August 2026: Pune–Mumbai Intercity trains are unable to add more coaches because of infrastructure limitations at Pune railway station. Short platforms, inadequate stabling lines and insufficient pit-line facilities have kept a long-pending proposal to increase the trains to 22 coaches on hold.
The five major trains operating daily between Pune and Mumbai — Deccan Queen, Sinhagad Express, Pragati Express, Deccan Express and Intercity Express — currently run with 16 coaches. These trains have a large number of daily commuters and regularly record high waiting lists.
Adding six coaches to each train could significantly improve capacity. Each additional coach could accommodate around 100 passengers, meaning six extra coaches could provide space for at least 600 more passengers on a train.
Railway passenger numbers are particularly high among monthly season ticket (MST) holders, who depend on these trains for regular travel between Pune and Mumbai.
Unlike Pune, several other major cities operate Intercity services with 22 coaches. Central Railway already operates 22-coach services such as the Panchavati Express and Hingoli Janshatabdi.
The Intercity services generally depart from Platforms 4 and 5 at Pune station. These platforms are currently long enough to accommodate only 16 coaches.
The shortage of suitable stabling lines also makes it difficult to keep longer rakes at the station. Pit-line capacity, which is required for inspection and maintenance of coaches, is another limitation.
Dr Swapnil Neela, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said, “The platform and stabling-line limitations are preventing an increase in coach capacity. The issue is expected to be addressed during the proposed yard remodelling at Pune station. Once the work is completed, the number of coaches on some trains could be increased.”
The five major Pune–Mumbai trains remain popular among daily commuters, resulting in consistently high demand and waiting lists.
To manage heavy passenger demand at specific stations, a coach is sometimes reserved for passengers travelling to and from those stations. However, overall capacity remains limited because the trains cannot currently be extended beyond 16 coaches.
Railway observer Piyush Sangapurkar said, “Pune–Mumbai Intercity trains should be increased to 22 coaches, following the example of other Central Railway services. This could accommodate an additional 600 to 1,000 passengers on each train and provide much-needed relief to daily commuters.”
Until the required infrastructure is upgraded, passengers will continue to face limited capacity and overcrowding on some of Pune–Mumbai’s most important daily train services.