Pune Railways

By Train There are two railway stations in Mumbai from which you can board trains to Pune the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal (known as CST, formerly called Victoria Terminus) and Dadar Station. The line starts at CST, in South Mumbai. Dadar station is nearer to the airport than CST, but some trains from Mumbai to Pune do not stop at Dadar (they only stop there going from Pune to Mumbai) and the ones that do, do so for a couple of minutes only. It is best that you go all the way into downtown Mumbai to catch a train to Pune, especially if you are carrying luggage. Seats on most trains are booked many days in advance. For a comfortable and carefree journey, it is better to reserve a seat. You can book train tickets through a reliable travel agent or at windows at several railway stations in Mumbai.

If you are a foreigner and staying in Mumbai before your journey to Pune, you can book a ticket yourself at the "Foreigner" booking window at CST. Here tickets are specially held for foreigners, but you have to book 10 hours or more before the scheduled time of departure.

Note: When your taxi pulls into the station, you will be surrounded by porters wearing red turbans and a metallic arm-band. Their serial numbers are displayed on the armbands. Choose one porter, show him your ticket and he will find your train and your seat. If the train is not in yet, he will wait with you on the right platform. Make sure the porter puts the luggage in a place where you agree. The government rate for a porter is low and one can place up to 120kg on a trolley.

Recommended Train The 6.40am Shatabdi Express is air-conditioned throughout. The price includes breakfast, tea or coffee and mineral water. Buy a ticket (any class) to Pune at the ticket office, get on the train and pay the difference. Seats are available most of the time. In fact there is additional coach exclusively for late walk-ins. The prices shown are for A/C Chair Class (CC) or for 2nd Class A/C Sleeper (2AC), when CC is not available. Cheaper tickets are available, for about one third of the quoted prices, but we recommend the quoted standard. Trains depart at regular intervals from 6:00 a.m. through 11:30 p.m.

Tourist Information Counter There is a tourist information counter at the railway station but it basically only sells tickets for the MTDC city bus tours and to Mahabaleshwar. It has no map of the city. The tours also leave from outside the station. The regional tourist office is in the government offices, known as Central buildings.

Getting Around on Arrival is simple and generally reasonably priced if you choose either a rickshaw or bus. Taxi prices can be a little on the pricey side in comparison but are also a viable option.

Railway Inquiary Information

Central Railway