INTRODUCTION

The Konkan Railway runs along the west coast of India from Mangalore in Karnataka to Mumbai through Goa. It is one of the most exciting routes that serves as a lifeline to the Konkan Coast and provides a scenic beauty of nature which the tourists and travellers can enjoy throughout the year.

The Konkan Railway was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation

HISTORY

Until the Konkan Railway started its operations, the two important port cities Mangalore and Mumbai were not directly connected by the railway network. In mid twentieth century, people travelling to Mumbai from Mangalore and adjoining areas would go to Kadur or Birur by bus and then catch a train to Mumbai (Bombay then). In 1970's National Highway 17 (NH-17) was built to connect these cities by road. Direct bus services started between these two cities after the construction of NH-17. Even though economic reasons provided a strong need to connect these two cities, the region through which the railway track passed was geographically very tough and would be an engineering challenge. Due to the uneven terrain of the region, railway lines were not laid for many years.

CHALLENGES

With a total number of over 2,000 bridges and 91 tunnels to be built through this mountainous terrain containing many rivers, the project was the biggest and perhaps most difficult railway undertaking during this century, at least in this part of the world. A major challenge in the area was land acquisition as circa 43000 landowners had to be negotiated with. But though land related lawsuits are common in the Konkan, when KRCL began persuading people to give up property that had belonged to their families for generations, many gave it up voluntarily, convinced of the importance of the project. This enabled the entire process to be completed in just a year.

Balance sheet of konkan railway

Infrastructure developments

During 1998-99 financial year six major new rail line and gauge conversion projects have been completed. They are: Sambalpur-Talcher(New Line), Jogighopa - Goalpara (New Line), including Narnarayan Setu rail-cum-road bridge, Chennai Beach - Trichy (Gauge Conversion), Trichy-Dindigul (Gauge Conversion), Simalguri - Moranhat and Furkating Mariani (Gauge Conversion) and Panihar - Khajuri New Line of Guna -Etawah project. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared 22 major projects during the period involving an expenditure of Rs.7229 crore

Annual plan

Plan outlay for 1999-2000 is Rs.9700 crore. This implies an increase of Rs.945 crore over the Revised Estimate of 199899. There is an increase in capital from General Exchequer to Rs.2,540 crore in 1999-2000 as against Rs.2200 crore in the previous year. This is 26 per cent of plan outlay and the highest since 1993-94.

Railway Budget 1999-2000 plans to be more customer focused. There is no increase in Second Class fares in view of 1999-2000 being declared as the Passenger Year. Budget promises for Railway staff to be more courteous, reservations easier to obtain and touts off the platforms. In view of the environmental concern, sale of cigarettes and bidi on Railway platforms and trains will be banned from 5th June, 99. Rail Yatri Magazine will be supplied to passengers giving information on tourist spots, articles on health and other entertaining topics. A Customer Care Institute is being opened in Delhi. Budget promises one model station in each Division during the year and instant reservation to all places in India. It provides for environmental friendly measures like captive afforestation and use of jute curtains and bamboo paper baskets

Transparency

1999-2000 Budget has also proposed a number of steps to ensure transparency in recruitment: No interview portion, only written exam for Group C recruitment. Process of group D recruitment on sound footing.

Recruitment process against sports quota streamlined.

IMPROVEMENTS

The construction of Narnarayan Setu, a rail-cumroad bridge over river Brahmaputra, costing approximately Rs.300 crore (Rs.3 billion) was completed and inaugurated on April 15, 1998 by the Honble Prime Minister.

services

the worried corporation to consider cutting rates. With an outstanding debt of 3,375 crore, KRCL was banking on freight traffic to bail it out. In an effort to attract freight traffic, the corporation began creating awareness among local industries on the route. In 1999, the corporation introduced the Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) service, a unique road-rail synergy system, on the section between Kolad in Maharashtra and Verna in Goa, which was extended up to Surathkal in Karnataka in 2004. The RORO service, the first of its kind in India, allowed trucks to be transported on flatcars. It was highly popular,[carrying about 1.6 lakh trucks and bringing in over 120 crore worth of earnings to the corporation till 2009. Freight response to the Konkan Railway was lukewarm, prompting

Completion (conclusion)
Amid all the controversies and problems dogging the project, work continued to progress. In March 1993, the southernmost section of 47 kilometres However, through services between Mumbai and Mangalore continued to remain on hold due to a problematic tunnel at Pernem, which was facing repeated cave-ins and flooding.[The tunnel was finally completed in January 1998, six years after its construction had commenced. Through services on the line commenced after a formal inauguration of the entire stretch of 740 kilometres (460 mi) from Roha to Thokur on January 26, 1998. Trains carrying passengers started running along the full route between Mumbai and Mangalore from May 1998.In October 1997, Mr. Sreedharan was asked to take up the responsibility of construction of the Delhi Metro Project