KRCL to set up container depot at Balli

NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited will soon set up a container depot at Balli in Quepem taluka near its rail track, with plans to run one container train per day from Goa to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust container terminal located in the east of Mumbai. The project will require an investment of Rs 30 crore.
Addressing a press conference held in the city to brief about the achievements of the Konkan Railway during the past two years, KRCL chairman and managing director Sanjay Gupta said the corporation has land in Balli and the proposed container depot will be supplemented by two additional rail lines.
“The container depot will have facilities to load, unload and stock the containers,” he added, pointing out that presently 50 to 60 containers are being sent out of Goa on daily basis.
Gupta said the Konkan Railway has also started container loading exercise at Verna and it is going from strength to strength. “Furthermore, as per the new private freight terminals policy of the central government, we will give rail access to anyone, who has a land in Verna and desires to set up on it a container hub related infrastructure such as warehouse, etc,” he said, noting that such a person will have to pay registration fee of Rs 10 lakh, and receive facilities like a rail line right up to his infrastructure.
It was also informed that the facility however would not be allowed to handle programmed coal and iron ore, but can handle items like fertiliser, cement and so on.
Maintaining that Konkan Railway will now focus on increasing the capacity of its existing passenger and freight network, Gupta stated that the corporation has scrapped its sky bus project as it required heavy investment to the tune of Rs 150 crore, while not being sure of its commercial viability.
“The technology of sky bus, which was aimed at metro transport, is outdated,” he noted, maintaining that lot of alternatives are now available for such transport.
Replying to a question as regards setting up of a metro rail in Goa, the KRCL CMD stated that such a decision should come from the state government.
“If the government requests KRCL to take up construction of related infrastructure, then of course, we would do the linkages,” he mentioned, stating that the government has already discussed with the KRCL, establishing contacts between the proposed Mopa airport, in Pernem taluka and various places through linkages.
Answering another question as regards the progress of the George Fernandes Institute for Tunnel Technology coming up at Margao whose foundation stone was laid by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu last year, Gupta said that some short courses on tunnelling technology are being conducted at the existing infrastructure of the institute.
“However, the institute needs a large physical infrastructure and we are working on it,” he observed.
The KRCL CMD further informed that the Indian Railways as well as the Konkan Railway is working on increasing speeds of trains on their networks, and UDAY (Utkrisht Double-decker Air-conditioned Yatri) as well as Antyodaya trains would run at higher speeds between Goa and Mumbai.
“The Antyodaya Express will in fact be for unreserved passengers,” he added.
It was also informed that setting up of the rail development authority is on the cards, and once this authority becomes a reality it will create a situation wherein railway fares would be structured, further making waiting-list free India.
“By 2020, we expect that tickets on demand and berth on demand will become a reality due to the Rail Development Authority,” Gupta stated, informing that soon unreserved ticketing system of the Konkan Railway would be integrated with the ticketing system of Indian Railways.
The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited has made a net profit of Rs 120 crore, this year by breaking all previous records, with this net profit being three times more than those during the previous years.
Replying to yet another question, Gupta said the double tracking work of the 740-km Konkan Railway route from Roha in Maharashtra to Thokur in Karnataka would soon commence in Goa, with the initial phase of this work in Goa to be undertaken between Verna and Majorda, as well as Margao and Sarzora/ Balli.
“The Konkan Railway has land for its track expansion in Goa, except at the entrances of the tunnels,” he concluded.
The double-tracking project of the entire Konkan Railway route would require estimated Rs 11,000 crore, and need five to seven years for its completion. The traffic study and funding pattern for the same is presently under preparation.