PANJIM: The first local train on the Konkan Railway line will run from Canacona to Pernem and back, with Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC) giving its green signal to the State government proposal, on Monday.
The project, to be implemented with the existing infrastructure, aims to reduce the increasing road traffic along this stretch connecting North with South. KRC is currently analyzing the proposal trying to synchronize the local train timing with the existing running train schedules.
In a special meeting held Monday morning that was chaired by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, KRC has ‘in-principle’ granted its approval to the local train.
The meeting, which also proposed additional railway stations, was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, Environment Minister Alina Saldanha, Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado, MLA Caetano Silva, KRC officials and others.
Speaking on the local train D’Souza said, “This will help in reducing the traffic flow,” and added that KRC is currently trying to sync the local train with the existing train schedule and the work timings of the people.
The Deputy Chief Minister, however, clarified that the project has nothing to do with the proposed Greenfield International Airport at Mopa. “This proposed railway is not connected to the airport. In metro cities, yes there are local trains that are connected with airport and the city. But here it is not the case,” he justified.
In yet another decision, Government has decided to verify the number of houses that will be affected with the Union Railway Ministry’s proposal to double the existing Vasco da Gama to Londa South Western Railway line. The move was basically following opposition from the cabinet minister and local MLA Alina Saldanha.
The Union Ministry has proposed to double the existing railway track from Sanguem to Vasco da Gama. The local MLAs and people have no objection to doubling the railway track from Sanguem to Margao, however, post that there are objections.
“The minister pointed out that there are many ancestral houses situated right next to the existing single line in most of the villages and these have developed cracks and if the railway line is doubled, the adverse effect on these houses would be tremendous and lead to collapse/destruction of most of these houses, hence government has decided to physically verify the number of houses to be affected,” D’Souza said.
The minister said that locals are also upset as KRC has failed to fulfill its long pending assurances to construct road over bridges, road under bridges and minimizing the number of manned/unmanned level crossings. The locals want KRC to resolve this issue first.
