Question

The Konkan Railway along the West Coast of India is a dream come true. Justify.

Answer 1

Hint:
- The first passenger train was on the Konkan railway track between Udupi and Mangalore on 20 March 1993.
- Passenger service on the full route started in May 1998 between Mumbai and Mangalore.
- The railway crosses 146 rivers, streams, almost 2,000 bridges and 91 tunnels.

Complete solution:
The Konkan Railway is a railway company which is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation. The headquarters are situated at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. During its initial years of service in the Konkan mountainous area, a number of accidents that had occurred prompted the Konkan Railway to introduce new technology which has led to the development of an advanced railway system. Anti-collision systems, the Sky Bus and the roll-on/roll-off are some of the inventions of the rail system. The 756.25 km long railway line links the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. The first train on the completed track was dispatched on 26 January 1998.

The Konkan railway project reduces the distance between Mumbai and Kochi by 750 km. Wide gauge rail line on the west coast of the lowland known as the Konkan Railway Line is the engineering wonder of the Indian Railways. It passes through a 6.5 km long tunnel, the largest tunnel in Asia. The states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa are partners in this project.

Following are some of the benefits of the Konkan Railway systems:

- The services save the nation's precious power.
- The speed of the train is quick enough relative to the movement of the track. The railway line provides a cheap and fast mode of transport to the Konkan area.
- Terminal loading/unloading time is just 15 to 20 minutes in Ro-Ro, a special operation of the Konkan railroads.
- Better turnaround for the trucks.
- Comparatively, less risk of injuries.
- Lesser amount of pollution.
- Tariffs are competitive in order to retain business forces.

Note:
- It is the largest railway construction effort in independent India and the first rail service in India to provide an intermodal freight transport service called Roll-on-Roll off (Ro-Ro) service.
- The project included more than 2,116 bridges and 92 tunnels and was the biggest railway project of the century in Asia.
- The fertiliser-carrying goods train derailed between Diwankhavti and Khed station (83/7Km) at 15.57 hrs on 10 May 2020. This occurred during the Covid-19 virus lockdown, when normal passenger and freight trains were halted by the central or Union government of India. There was no damage or crash. The railway track was reopened at 9.15 a.m. on 13 May 2020.