NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) on Wednesday announced that it will set up Multimodal Logistics Park worth Rs 42 crore at Balli in South
Goa.
“The multimodal logistic park will be set up at Balli in collaboration with CONCOR which is another railway company with a cost of around Rs 42 crore for which the work has already commenced. The project is likely to be ready by end of this year or early next year,” said Joseph Jorge, general manager of KRCL while addressing a press conference in
Panaji.
He said that the logistic park will handle both domestic and exim container traffic and in addition to container traffic, commodities transported by both open and covered wagons, can also be handled once the park is ready.
He informed that custom-bonded warehousing space is also being created in the first phase and a host of value-added services like stuffing, repackaging etc will be available to its
users.
Jorge said that both trade and industry in Goa would benefit from the two projects.
He informed that the turnover of KRCL has increased substantially over the last three years as in the year 2016-17, a total of 12.44 million passengers originated at Konkan
Railway.
“In the last three years, the turnover of KRCL has increased by 69 per cent. During the financial year 2013-14, Rs 1277.32 crore was the turnover and by 2016-17, it has increased to Rs 2164.34 crore,” he said.
He said that 147 kilometre line of Konkan Railway would be doubled out of which 35 kilometre would be in
Goa.
“After doubling process is over, 21 new stations would be developed which would reduce the average distance between one railway stations from 12.75 km to 8.3 km,” he said adding, “It will enable them to introduce more trains.”
He said a food court would be developed at Margao railway station and a rail compartment had been shifted near the station to develop it as a unique rail coach restaurant.
Jorge said that KRCL has initiated the process of improving the passenger amenities at stations such as installing escalators, travelator, lifts, modular design covered shelters at platforms and are also upgrading the waiting rooms with new benches, video wall and free Wi-Fi.
He also announced that during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, 140 special trains would be run for the benefit of public.