The Southern Railway, in collaboration with Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., (KRCL), successfully conducted a trial run of “Roll On Roll Off” (RoRo) service for trucks between Surathkal in Karnataka and Kozhikode in Kerala on Wednesday.
SR had sought extension of KRCL’s existing RoRo service between Kolad, off Mumbai, and Surathkal near Mangaluru, to destinations in Kerala. The trial run was conducted to examine operational feasibility of the service wherein trucks ride piggyback on BRN wagons.
The trial run commenced from Surathkal at 8.20 a.m. with a locomotive, three BRN wagons and a guard van with the first BRN wagon mounted with a metal structure equivalent to the height and width of a truck followed by two trucks. The metal structure was to ensure the train’s safe passage through tunnels as well beneath the electrified lines in SR’s jurisdiction.
The train successfully passed through the Kulashekara tunnel as well as beneath the electrified lines without any obstructions in SR’s limits and reached Mangaluru Junction at 9.10 a.m. It left the Junction at 10.30 a.m. after crew change.
Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Pratap Singh Shami told The Hindu the intention was to take RoRo till Thiruvananthapuram; however a Road Over Bridge just before the Shoranur junction could be an obstruction. “We will attempt to pass beneath the RoB today and if it is not successful, the services would run till West Hill (Kozhikode),” he said.
KRCL has said it was positive to run the services as demanded by SR.
Since two decades
KRCL introduced RoRo service between Kolad and Verna, off Madgaon in Goa (417 km), on January 26, 1999 and subsequently extended it till Surathkal(721 km) from June 15, 2004. Starting with one rake, the services were augmented with five rakes and at present daily services were operated based on demand.
RoRo has been hailed as a win-win situation for the railways as well as truck operators. On the one hand, it saves considerable amount of fuel used by trucks and also reduces road accident risks and on the other, offers regular income to the Railways. Upto 50 trucks were transported at a time under this arrangement. The BRN wagons were suitably modified to carry trucks ensuring that the consignment conforms to the maximum moving dimensions of the rake for safe passage.
