Mangaluru (TOI) Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, (KRCL) is keen to double its entire 741-km route at one go. At present, KRCL union government has granted clearance to KRCL to do so in patches. KRCL is of the view that having double lines on the route from the present single line will add to the existing advantages for Konkan Railway route is shortest line that connects South India with North India through the picturesque coastal states of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
With decision expected on the doubling by this month end, Sanjay Gupta, chairman and managing director, KRCL believes that doubling of the route at one go will enable the corporation to exploit its advantages in its entirety unlike patch doubling that offers only partial relief. Incidentally, minister for railways Suresh Prabhu has already laid the foundation stone for patch doubling between Roha and Veer (46-kms) and for the electrification of the entire route network.
Sanjay Gupta said KRCL has envisaged taking up the stretch between Sindhudurg-Sawantwadi Road, a distance of 31-kms and Thokur-Byndooor, distrance of 112- kms, for patch doubling next. If the railway ministry approves KRCL's proposal to take up doubling at one go, the Corporation in all likelihood will have to seek external funding. It may be added here that Life Insurance Corporation of India has already subscribed to its bonds worth Rs 250 crore recently.
While the Konkan Railway route is no doubt an engineering marvel, its doubling poses a challenge in that it has 179 major bridges and 92 tunnels. "The proposal as it stands now does not encompass plan to double the line on the major bridges and the tunnels," he said adding that the Corporation might take this up at a later date. Even without doubling the line on these stretches, the speed will increase with stations at both ends of tunnels/bridges where trains could be regulated.
Number of trains operated on Konkan Railway network has increased many times over the years. While KRCL operated an average of 30 trains, including 23 passenger and seven freight in 2004-05, these numbers have increased to 62 including 46 passenger and 16 freight in 2014-15. The track utilization has touched 175 per cent making it highly difficult to introduce more trains on the network, Sanjay Gupta said, adding doubling could offer some partial relief.
