FCC

Konkan Railway Needs Major Infra Overhaul to Ensure Safety

2024-12-04

Konkan Railway Corporation (KRCL), whose infrastructure is over 25 years old, requires significant capital investment to renew and replace aging assets to ensure safe and efficient operations, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha.

Vaishnaw informed that the Ministry of Railways had approached the five shareholder states—Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, and the Ministry of Railways itself—to contribute to the necessary capital expenditure or consider relinquishing their shares to the Ministry of Railways for the project.

The minister’s response was in reaction to questions raised by BJP MP Kota Srinivas Poojary regarding the status of a potential merger of KRCL. Vaishnaw confirmed that the infrastructure renewal would include upgrading critical assets such as doubling the track and rehabilitating tunnels.

Goa’s state government has agreed to relinquish its share, although the other states have yet to respond. The upgrades are necessary to meet increasing traffic demands and ensure the safety and efficiency of the network.