Reaching Sambhajinagar — Flights, Trains & Road Routes (2026)

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has its own airport, its own railway station, and three good road corridors, so the honest answer to "how do I get there" depends on where you're starting. From Mumbai the fastest legs are a 65-minute flight or the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway.

From Pune it's a short flight or a longer drive, since no train runs direct. From Hyderabad, only one daily flight covers the distance in under 90 minutes.

✈️ Flying in: Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune direct

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport (code IXU) sits at Chikalthana, on the city's east side. IndiGo runs it as an ATR hop from Mumbai, about one flight a day each way, in the air for roughly 65 minutes.

A similar short direct service also connects Pune, both quick enough to fly in and start sightseeing the same afternoon.

From Hyderabad, IndiGo's 6E-7259 departs at 8:05 am and lands about 1 hour 25 minutes later, currently the only same-day direct option on that route. Frequencies on all three routes shift with the season, so confirm the day's schedule before you lock a hotel check-in time.

🚆 By train: the Vande Bharat, the Devagiri Express, and the Manmad change

The Mumbai CSMT–Hazur Sahib Nanded Vande Bharat Express (20705/20706) is the fastest rail link from Mumbai: it leaves CSMT at 1:10 pm, calls at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar around 2:48 pm, and runs six days a week.

The overnight Devagiri Express (17057/17058) is the older workhorse. It leaves Mumbai CSMT at 9:30 pm and reaches Aurangabad station by 4:15 am daily, with sleeper, AC and general classes.

From Pune, there is no direct train. Every journey routes through Manmad Junction, where you change onto a Manmad–Sambhajinagar service that takes about 1 hour 35 minutes. Build in a 30–45 minute buffer at Manmad for the connection, especially if your first train runs late.

The station itself was renamed from Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar railway station in October 2025, with a new code, CPSN (older tickets and apps may still show AWB — it's the same station).

🛣️ By road: three very different drives

The road picture has changed fast since the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway opened through this stretch in 2024. Here's how the three approach roads compare today:

Mumbai's drive has shrunk the most: the expressway turned what used to be a 9-hour slog via Nashik into a 6–7 hour run.

A Pune–Sambhajinagar Expressway (about 225 km) is planned to cut that leg to roughly 2 hours, but it isn't open yet. Treat current Pune drive times as the reality for now.

🚌 Bus options: MSRTC and private operators

MSRTC runs frequent Shivshahi (semi-AC) and ordinary services from both Mumbai and Pune into the Sambhajinagar Central Bus Stand and the CIDCO stand. One-way fares on the Pune leg run roughly ₹350–550.

Private Volvo and sleeper coaches also ply both routes overnight, useful if you'd rather sleep through the drive than sit through it by day.

🏙️ Airport to city, station to city — the first mile

From IXU airport to the city centre is about 10 km, a 20–35 minute prepaid taxi ride off-peak, stretching to 35–55 minutes in the morning rush. Prepaid counters inside the terminal quote roughly ₹350–600; app cabs run a little cheaper outside peak hours.

The railway station sits close to the old city, with the CIDCO business and hotel district a further short taxi ride across town — plan 20–25 minutes depending on where exactly you're staying.

If you're heading straight on to Ellora or Grishneshwar, most drivers can route you out of the station without a city detour at all. The Ellora Caves from Sambhajinagar guide has the onward timings.

🧭 Which route should you choose?

• Travelling with elders or young children — fly. The Mumbai or Hyderabad hop avoids a long car or overnight train, and IXU's small terminal means minimal walking.

• On a budget — the Devagiri Express (sleeper class) from Mumbai, or an MSRTC Shivshahi bus from Pune, both cost a fraction of a flight or private taxi.

• On a tight schedule — the Vande Bharat from Mumbai or a private taxi from any of the three cities; both let you fix an exact arrival time rather than working around bus or connecting-train timetables.

• Coming from Pune with only a day or two — skip the train's Manmad change and either fly direct or take the road; the connection risk isn't worth it on a short trip.

🛏️ Where to stay once you're in

Most travellers base themselves in CIDCO, the newer business district with the bulk of mid-range and business hotels, a short hop from both the airport and the highway out to Ellora. A smaller cluster stays in Khuldabad, closer to the caves and the Bhadra Maruti temple but further from the railway station.

The full comparison, including which side suits an early Grishneshwar start, is in the where-to-stay guide for Sambhajinagar.

However you arrive — by air, by the Vande Bharat, or by road — Sambhajinagar puts you within a short onward drive of Ellora, Grishneshwar and the wider Jyotirlinga circuit. Har Har Mahadev.