With the Pune–Ajni (Nagpur) Vande Bharat Express witnessing booking levels that have consistently crossed the 130% mark for several months, calls for increasing the number of coaches on this route are growing stronger. Despite being one of the longest-running Vande Bharat services—covering 881 km in roughly 12 hours and operating six days a week—the train still runs with an 8-coach configuration.
Railway data from April 1 to October 31 highlights the extent of the demand: average bookings stood at 130.63% on the Pune–Ajni stretch, while the return leg recorded 127.06%. The numbers reveal a train that has been running nearly full on most days.
The schedule, too, underscores its popularity. The service departs from Pune at 6:25 am (except Tuesdays) and arrives in Ajni at 6:25 pm. The return journey starts from Ajni at 9:50 am (except Mondays) and reaches Pune at 9:50 pm.
According to Hemant Kumar Behera, Divisional Commercial Manager and PRO of the Pune division, passenger interest is only increasing. “The primary maintenance of the Pune–Ajni Vande Bharat is handled by the Nagpur division. As of now, we haven’t received any proposals regarding an increase in coaches, but it is a necessity as the train runs at full capacity,” he said.
The surge in ridership mirrors the rising movement of students and professionals between Nagpur and Pune—home to major educational institutions, IT hubs, and a growing start-up ecosystem. This flow has pushed travel demand to new highs.
Commuters agree that securing seats well in advance has become essential. “I book my tickets weeks in advance because the train is almost always full,” said Shreeyugi Sayam, a political science student. Similarly, Adiba Noor, a computer science engineer, added, “Every time I’ve travelled, the train has been at full capacity. Even then, the Vande Bharat is relatively more convenient as compared to other trains, so people naturally prefer it.”
Even as the Nagpur–Indore Vande Bharat has already been expanded to a 16-coach rake, the Pune–Ajni route continues to operate with just eight. With rising demand and consistently packed services, the need for additional coaches on the Pune corridor is becoming increasingly urgent.
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