Mumbai, Jun 12 (PTI) The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) is in the final stages of surveying a 263-km patch doubling project, and is expected to submit a proposal to the Railway Board within the next few weeks, a top official of the corporation said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference at KRCL’s headquarters at Navi Mumbai, Chairman and Managing Director Santosh Kumar Jha said the survey covering the 112 km long Thokur-Mookambika Road and 151 km long Vaibhavwadi-Majorda sections is nearing completion and estimates are likely to be finalised within seven to 10 days.
“The survey is in the final stage. Once the estimates are prepared, we will send a proposal to the Railway Board. We have identified stretches with comparatively fewer
tunnels, bridges and land acquisition requirements for patch doubling,” he said.
Jha said a new tunnel would be constructed wherever required as part of future doubling works, as the existing single-line tunnels do not have sufficient space to accommodate two tracks.
Of the 740 km-long route of Konkan Railway spread between Roha to Thokur spread in four states namely Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, presently, only 47 km long Roha-Veer section in Maharashtra and 7.66 km long section between Majorda and Madgaon in Goa have double lines.
On monsoon preparedness, he said the corporation continuously monitors vulnerable hill cuttings, slopes and water-affected locations through regular surveys and geotechnical interventions.
The KRCL has already announced implementation of the monsoon timetable on its route from June 15 to October 20, 2026. During this period, speed of the trains will be reduced from 120 kmph to 75 kmph in the 269 km long Veer to Kankavali section and 90 kmph in the 377 km-long Kankavali to Udupi section.
“The monsoon does not stop work entirely because tunnel works can continue during the season. We keep a close watch on slope stability and drainage conditions at sensitive locations,” he said.
The CMD said KRCL operated 1,400 special trains during 2025-26, including 382 Ganpati special services, the highest so far, and plans to operate more such trains during the upcoming Ganapati festival.
He said special arrangements, including passenger facilitation areas, cultural programmes and drinking water distribution, were made at major stations during last year’s Ganpati rush and would be expanded this year.
Jha said the corporation currently has no plans to run Ro-Ro service for cars during upcoming Ganapati festival, citing poor response despite extensive publicity. They could run only one Ro-Ro train with less than 20 cars last year.
Responding to questions on line capacity, he said the KRCL has added 10 new stations and eight loop lines between 2017-2022, significantly improving the operational capacity.
A proposal awaiting approval from the Ministry of Railways envisages construction of three new stations and 10 additional loop lines, he said, adding that the measures would enhance capacity until full doubling becomes a reality.
The proposed stations are Bahindur, Mayem and Neura Grande, while additional loop lines are planned at locations including Gokarna, Honnavar, Harwada and Ankola, he said.
Jha also said a Rs 4,704-crore asset renewal and safety enhancement proposal has been approved by the Railway Board and forwarded to the Union Cabinet. The proposal includes construction of two new tunnels, replacement of ageing track assets, complete track renewal and geotechnical safety works.
“Once sanctioned, substantial modernisation and safety-related works will be undertaken over the next five years,” he added.
Highlighting the corporation’s diversification efforts, Jha said the KRCL currently has projects worth Rs 22,537 crore under execution and is targeting Rs 25,000 crore worth of projects this year.
He said the corporation has expanded its freight business through container terminals, logistics parks and new commodity traffic streams, including bauxite, iron ore, petroleum products and pig iron.
On technology adoption, Jha said an artificial intelligence-based monitoring system has been deployed on a trial basis near Dasgaon tunnel to detect boulders, obstructions and animal movement on tracks.
“If even a small boulder falls on the track, the system immediately generates an alert,” he said.
Jha said the electrification of the Konkan Railway route, commissioned in 2022, has helped the corporation save around Rs 200 crore annually in fuel costs.
He also said the KRCL has repaid around Rs 1,100 crore of its legacy debt and expects to clear the remaining dues linked to its original construction financing shortly through internal resources.
The CMD expressed hope that proposed rail connectivity projects, such as Vaibhavwadi-Kolhapur and Chiplun-Karad, would receive approval in the future, citing their potential to improve connectivity and generate traffic in the Konkan region.
Jha said that so far the KRCL has spent Rs 346.03 crore on geo-safety works in the last 15 years, while during the current financial year they have spent around Rs 18 crore on these works.
During the last financial year, the KRCL ferried 32.56 million passengers and handled 10.3 million tonnes of freight, handling an average 75 trains that includes 56 passenger trains and 19 goods trains everyday.
Jha said that during 2024-25, the KRCL earned Rs 137.69 crore net profit, which he described as “very good”.
“Through this surplus we carry out track safety and passenger amenities work,” he said.
He said that this year they have identified 40 dangerous cuttings and of those 29 are in Maharashtra.
The KRCL has installed five rain gauges in Ratnagiri regions and four in Karwar region, which are being monitored on a daily basis during Monsoon season, he said. PTI KK NP
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