The Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) has begun preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to double approximately 263 km of its network, the Union government informed Parliament on Wednesday. The project aims to significantly enhance the capacity of one of India’s most challenging and strategically important rail corridors.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha from Udupi–Chikmagaluru MP Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that around 55 km of the route has already been doubled.
Stretching 739 km from Roha in Maharashtra to Thokur near Mangaluru in Karnataka, the Konkan Railway passes through the rugged terrain of the Western Ghats, making expansion particularly complex and capital intensive.
Vaishnaw noted that while 685 km of the route is yet to be doubled, completing the process will require substantial investment, including financial participation from the railway’s shareholder states. KRCL, established in 1990, is jointly owned by the Ministry of Railways with a 66.35% stake, along with the governments of Maharashtra (15.11%), Goa (4.12%), Karnataka (10.30%), and Kerala (4.12%).
The minister further explained that approval for any railway project is contingent on several factors, including traffic forecasts, economic viability, first- and last-mile connectivity, relief of congestion on existing lines, and the availability of funds.
The DPR exercise is expected to define the technical, financial, and operational roadmap for expanding one of India’s most critical coastal transport arteries.
