Valsad: With the introduction of Valsad as an additional stoppage for the Gandhinagar Capital–Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express, the train’s journey time between Gandhinagar and Mumbai Central has increased by five minutes. To accommodate the new stop, the train is departing five minutes earlier from Gandhinagar railway station and arriving five minutes earlier at its scheduled stoppages starting 27 July. Due to the new Valsad halt, the journey from Ahmedabad to Mumbai Central now takes 5 hours and 40 minutes, compared to the earlier 5 hours and 35 minutes.

To compare like for like, the morning Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 22962), which does not stop at Anand and Valsad, takes 3 hours and 18 minutes to travel between Ahmedabad and Vapi. Meanwhile, the afternoon Vande Bharat Express, which starts from Gandhinagar and includes halts at Anand, Valsad and others, now takes 3 hours and 23 minutes to cover the same Ahmedabad–Vapi stretch.

It’s worth noting that the afternoon Vande Bharat Express from Gandhinagar initially did not have halts at Anand and Valsad. These stoppages were only introduced later after local MPs from both places requested them. In the latest update, Indian Railways has granted an experimental five-minute halt at Valsad. This means the district now has two stops on this route — Valsad and Vapi — a unique situation, as no other district has two halts. In contrast, other major districts like Kheda (Nadiad) and Bharuch still do not have Vande Bharat coverage.

On social media, several commuters have questioned these politically approved new halts for India’s fastest train, commenting that such decisions could gradually turn the Vande Bharat Express into another Shatabdi or Karnavati Express.

For context, the second Vande Bharat Express that runs in the morning from Ahmedabad covers six stations — Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Vapi, Borivali, and Mumbai Central. Meanwhile, with the latest stoppage, the afternoon semi high-speed train will now cover nine stations.

However, it is important to note that the current halt at Valsad is only experimental. Local railway officials have been instructed to monitor ticket sales at Valsad before making a final decision on the halt’s viability.

Interestingly, even with the additional stops, the semi high-speed train remains the fastest service between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, covering the distance in about 5 hours and 40 minutes — whereas the Tejas and Shatabdi Express trains take over 6 hours and 40 minutes. DeshGujarat

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Vande Bharat Express Gandhinagar Capital – Mumbai Central 

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Return Journey from Mumbai Central

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