Transportation in Maharashtra

The Indian Railways covers most of the Maharashtra and is the preferred mode of transport over long distances. Almost the entire state comes under the Central Railways branch which is headquartered in Mumbai. Most of the coast south of Mumbai comes under the Konkan Railway.

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses, popularly called ST or MSRTC, link most of the towns and villages and have a large network of operation. These buses, run by the state government are the preferred mode of transport for much of its populace. In addition to the government run buses, private run luxury buses are also a popular mode of transport between major towns.

Mumbai has the only international airport in Maharashtra, and large towns such as Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur and Solapur are served by domestic airlines. Ferry services also operate near the capital, linking the city to neighbouring coastal towns.

Other modes of public transport, such as a seven-seater tempo have gained popularity in semi-urban areas. Maharashtra has a large highway network and recently built the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the first turnpike project in India. Maharashtra has three major ports at Mumbai (operated by the Mumbai Port Trust), the JNPT lying across the Mumbai harbor in Nhava Sheva, and in Ratnagiri, which handles the export of ores mined in the Maharastra hinterland.