Western Railway’s (WR) recent decision to introduce a halt for the premier Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express at Valsad station has not gone down well with Palghar commuters, triggering a debate about preferential treatment being meted out to certain stations. Palghar station has been consistently outperforming Valsad station in terms of earnings and footfall, as per data gathered by commuters under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The Palghar district, home to several growing towns, remains devoid of any halt for Vande Bharat. Pic/By Special Arrangement

The recent decision to halt the prestigious Vande Bharat Express (20901/20902) at Valsad railway station has triggered a debate among rail passengers and observers. With data showing lower earnings at Valsad compared to several nearby stations, including Palghar, Vapi, and Navsari, many are left questioning the criteria and transparency behind the allocation of halts on India’s premium train services. The train already had a halt at Vapi, which is just 24 km away, and yet Valsad was granted a stop — excluding the entire 140-km stretch between Borivli and Vapi.