Proposal to merge Konkan Railway with Indian Railways; Read to know more

By: Pune Pulse

December 9, 2023

Pune: On June 3, Shobha Karandlaje, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, announced her proposal to merge the Konkan Railway with the Indian Railways to the Union government.

During a press conference in Udupi, Karandlaje expressed her concerns about the underdevelopment of the railway sector in coastal Karnataka. She emphasized that the separate entity of Konkan Railway has faced challenges in upgrading railway infrastructure, particularly the pending doubling of the Konkan Railway track.

As per the information provided, Karandlaje proposed integrating it as part of the South Western Railway to address this issue. The minister stated that the demand for increased train operations on the Konkan route is hindered by the single track in Karnataka. 

She highlighted financial limitations as a deterrent for the Konkan Railway Corporation to enhance infrastructure and also noted the absence of a double track on the Konkan route and the implementation of separate tracks for commercial and passenger trains in some parts of the country.