A 5–6 acre parcel beside Ram Mandir station in Jogeshwari has been earmarked to host Maharashtra’s first dedicated Vande Bharat depot. The location was confirmed on August 4 after an on-site inspection was carried out by Railway Board chairman and CEO Satish Kumar, and a formal confirmation was conveyed to Western Railway. The Jogeshwari plot was preferred over options at Wadi Bunder, Curry Road, and Virar, it was indicated by officials familiar with the process.
The land is currently being used as a dumping ground and as a holding area for obsolete coaches, while a cement godown with sheds has been functioning on the premises. Rail links that connect the plot to the main line toward Ram Mandir station have already been in place, and the existence of an island platform has been noted. Under the plan that has been outlined, these facilities are expected to be reconfigured so that a purpose-built maintenance complex can be established.
An investment in the range of ₹150–200 crore has been projected for the depot. It has been planned that two to three maintenance pit lines of approximately 600 metres will be constructed so that 20-car Vande Bharat trainsets can be serviced. It has been suggested that upkeep of the facility is likely to be assigned to a third-party contractor. The installation of a specialised “pit mover” has been proposed so that bogie and wheelset changes can be completed without detaching entire coaches. The mechanism has been described as one in which wheelsets are lowered into a pit, shifted laterally on perpendicular tracks, and a replacement set is raised and fitted onto the stationary coach.
The depot has been positioned as the first in Mumbai to serve both seater and sleeper variants of the Vande Bharat fleet for Western and Central Railways. In its initial phase, the complex is expected to handle between five and ten trainsets, with an eventual expansion foreseen to accommodate up to fifty. The Vande series has been designed for speeds of up to 160 kmph, and its deployment has been framed as part of a broader modernisation programme aimed at compressing intercity travel times. Land has also been set aside by Western Railway at Sabarmati in Gujarat and in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, so that a network of supporting depots can be created.
The proximity of the depot to the planned Jogeshwari Terminus on the eastern side has been presented as a significant advantage. The terminus, which is being developed as Mumbai’s first greenfield passenger hub since the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus era, has been targeted for commissioning by December 2026. Daily departures of at least 24 long-distance trains toward Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi have been anticipated. Because of this alignment, an increased likelihood has been projected for Vande Bharat services to originate from Jogeshwari, particularly as the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor is prepared for 160 kmph operation by August.
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