Electrification of entire Konkan Rly. completed

The last of the six sections between Ratnagiri and Thivim authorised for electric loco-hauled train operation

Train journey from Mangaluru to Mumbai and further has become more pleasant with the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) completing the electrification work on its entire 741-km network and getting ready to handle electric loco-hauled trains.

The last of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) inspections was carried out between Ratnagiri in Maharashtra and Thivim in Goa last week and the CRS authorisation to run electric loco-hauled trains on the stretch was issued on Monday, said a release from KRCL.

Foundation stone for the electrification of the entire route work was laid in November 2015. The total cost of the project came to ₹1,287 crore. CRS inspection of the entire route was successfully conducted in six phases starting in March 2020. Train No 16515/16516 Yeshwantpur-Karwar-Yeshwantpur Tri-weekly Express was the first electric loco-hauled passenger train in the coastal region in the State, between Mangaluru Junction and Karwar.

KRCL has thus achieved the “Mission 100% Electrification” set by the Indian Railways towards Zero Carbon Emission.

The electrification project was challenging due to the difficult terrain under Konkan Railway and a non-conducive atmosphere due to COVID-19. Moreover, due to the extreme monsoon in the Konkan region, special arrangements had to be made at many locations to keep the electrification mission going non-stop.

With the electrification, the Railways can now save over ₹150 crore on fuel bills, besides reaping the inherent benefits of electrification, including seamless movement of electric loco-hauled trains on the West Coast, pollution-free mode of transport and reduced dependence on high speed diesel.

As Konkan Railway is one of the biggest railway routes on the Indian Railway network, train operations with electric traction will be implemented in a phased manner.