Ahmedabad-Mumbai non-stop fully air-conditioned, super fast Duronto train that was to be started in October this year will now run in December last week this year or in January 2010, Western Railway General Manager RN Varma reportedly told media persons in Ahmedabad on Monday. Varma was in Ahmedabad to accompany Central minister of state for Railway KM Muniyappa. Interestingly when asked about Duronto, Muniyappa said “the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Duronto will start before March 2010”.

Railway Minister Manta Banerjee had announced several Duronto non-stop trains in Railway budget this year, one of them was Ahmedabad-Mumbai Duronto.

Ms. Banerjee is from West Bengal and she has already inaugurated two Durontos connecting West Bengal to the other parts of India. These two Durontos connect New Delhi to Sealdah and Howrah to Mumbai. However, Gujarat it seems is being apparently discriminated as Duronto connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai is yet to start, despite of the fact that Ahmedabad-Mumbai is one of the most lucrative and busiest routs of Indian Railway.

Some senior Railway officials visiting Ahmedabad on Monday said the delay in the Duronto’s launch is due to the unavailability of new coaches that are specially used in Duronto. Some other railway officials said that the delay was because of the assembly elections in Maharashtra and code of conduct related issues.

Once operational the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Duronto train will be the fastest train connecting two busiest cities in Western India. The train will run thrice a week from each station.