MARGAO: The much anticipated double-decker train on the Konkan Railway route between Mumbai and Margao was launched off on Sunday.
Babita Angle, chairperson of Margao Municipal Council, flagged off the double-decker train from Margao station on Sunday afternoon. The train will operate thrice a week. The symbolic flagging off was done by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in Panjim, while Margao’s first citizen Babita Angle actually flagged of the train at the same time from Marga Station.
Railway ministry officials stated that this was the launch of the inaugural run of the AC Double Decker Express Train (Nos 11085 and 11086) from Margao. It will leave Lokmanya Tialk Terminus every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5.30 pm and will reach Margao at 5.30 pm on the same day.
From Margao, the train will leave every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6 am and will reach Lokmanya Tiak Terminus at 5.10 pm the same day.
The train will halt at Thane, Panvel, Khed, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Kankavali, Sawantwadi Road, Tivim and Karmali on both directions. KRC GM Administration Siddeshwar Telugu said that the KR has always strived to meet the requirement of passengers to whatever extent possible. He urged the passengers to avail the services of the double-decker train.
Speaking after symbolically flagging off the train at the Kala Academy, Prabhu said the train will run trice a week between Margao and Kurla LTT which will have sitting capacity of 1000 passengers.
At the flag off function which was held at the Kala Academy, Panjim, Prabhu said that more trains would run between Goa to Mumbai, by the next coming tourist season. He informed that the train for Tirupati from Goa will also be started soon on experimental basis.
Prabhu said that the work of doubling of Konkan Railway tracks in Goa would also commence soon which would increase the frequency of the trains within and outside Goa.
“We are working for the last few months on the planning of double tracking in Goa so that fields and the monuments of Goa will not affected and the final work will commence once the double tracking is done in the ghat sections,” Prabhu said.
Prabhu also said that 400 railway stations across the country will be upgraded to facilitate the public. He said that railway alone can increase the GDP of country by 2.5-3%.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar appreciated the Union minister for considering the Goa’s demand favourably and completing it positively. Parsekar said that once the double tracking is completed, then, the train frequency would increase and the timing taken to reach from Canacona to Pernem would be reduced by 50%, which in turn would decongest the traffic on roads.
Union Minister and North Goa Lok Sabha MP Shripad Naik said that this is the second train within a month’s time to be flagged off from Goa and very soon “all our demands with the Union railway ministry will be resolved.”
