Team Herald
MARGAO: Apart from the areas where they have met with opposition from the local populace, South Western Railways (SWR) and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) have expedited the double-tracking work in the rest of State.
When SWR commissioned the 15.2 km double-tracked portion of the Margao-Chandor-Sanvordem route recently, it also made this the first stretch in Goa to become functional along the Hospet-Hubli-Tinaighat-Vasco route of the double tracking project.
Furthermore, even though there have been strong objections raised in Velsao over the last few months and recently in Majorda, the double tracking work on the 17 km Majorda-Vasco stretch has not stopped and at times, has even gone ahead with protection from the local police despite the local panchayat’s intervention.
In Curchorem, the spans of the truss road overbridge (ROB) were opened for two-wheelers last month while the entire ROB is expected to be thrown open for the public by the end of March or in the first weeks of April.
Incidentally, due to the double tracking work, the level crossing that existed earlier was removed, and in its place, the ROB is being constructed.
At the Dhadem-Kulem section of the double tracking project, the construction of a parallel bridge is being carried out quickly to help facilitate the laying of the second track, given that the old bridge can only handle a single track. Viaducts have been proposed to connect the parallel bridge to the elevated landmass on the Dhadem-end.
Against this backdrop, SWR also hopes to complete the electrification of the Vasco-Castle rock section by March-end. The project costing Rs 380 crore is nearly complete on the Vasco-Kulem section, while they are working through technical challenges caused by the terrain of the Braganza Ghat section between Castle Rock and Kulem.
