Travelling from Mumbai to Goa by trains is one of the best and most preferred options for most of the travellers to Goa. It is much more convenient and comfortable to travel by train compared to going by bus. It is also much cheaper compared to airline travel.
There are daily trains that go from Mumbai to Goa. These major railway terminus in Mumbai is the CST station at Fort in south Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, which was earlier known as VT-Victoria terminus). Other than CST, trains also depart to Goa, from the Lokmanya Tilak terminus at Kurla.
At Goa, the main railway station is the Margao station. (called Madgaon), and several passengers prefer to get down at this station in South Goa. However tourists who are interested in visiting the most popular beaches of Goa, prefer to get down from the train earlier at Thivim station, from where they can get a taxi to Mapusa town, and from Mapusa all the most popular beaches are very close.
The popular trains plying between Mumbai and Goa are listed below:
0111 Konkankanya express:
This train departs from CST (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) at Mumbai in the night, and reaches Goa the next morning. Hence this is one of the most popular trains, as people can simply board the train, have a good night's sleep and wake up in the morning to touch Goa.
Another advantage of this train is that it stops at Thivim in Goa, which is the best station for most tourists to get down at, since Thivim is the closest station to the most popular beaches in Goa.
Passengers travelling by this train have the option to travel by 1AC, 2AC, 3AC (3-tier A/C sleeper) or by Sleeper coach (non-AC, 3-tier) tickets.
The total time taken by this train to travel from Mumbai to Goa is around 12 hours.
2051 Jan Shatabdi Express:
For those who want to travel from Mumbai to Goa in the daytime, the Jan Shatabdi express that goes from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Madgaon is a very popular choice. Also its a very fast train with a travelling time of only 9 hours. The Shatabdi express starts early in the morning from Mumbai and you can reach Goa by afternoon.
This train also stops at Thivim in north Goa, and so tourists wanting to visit popular beaches can get down at this station. Since the Jan Shatabdi express travels in the day, the arrangement in this train is seating arrangement. AC and Non-AC ticket options are availabe.
0103 Mandovi Express:
Another train that goes in the daytime from Mumbai to Goa is the Madovi Express which leaves CST terminus at Mumbai in the morning and reaches Madgaon at Goa in the evening. This train also stops at Thivim. Compared to the Jan Shatabdi express this train takes more time to reach Goa.
Other trains that travellers opt for are the 16345 Netravati Express and the 12619 Matsyagandha Express. There are also other trains such as the Hazrat Nizamuddin express, Gandhidham Nagercoil Express which passes on its way from Mumbai to Goa. However these long route trains are not generally preferred by people, who want to board at Mumbai. Special summer trains or peak season trains from Mumbai to Goa, are also added time and again, by the Indian railways to cater to the increased demand during holiday and festive seasons.
It is advisable to book train tickets well in advance as the trains are usually full especially during weekends, when people want to holiday in Goa, and during peak seasons.
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