Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the 741-kilometre-long electrified route network of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) between Thokur (Mangaluru) and Roha (Maharashtra) in virtual mode from Bengaluru on Monday.
Mr. Modi will flag off trains running on electric traction from Udupi, Madgaon and Ratnagiri at a programme to be held at 3 p.m. in Bengaluru.
KRCL has made arrangements for live-streaming of the programme at Udupi Railway Station to be attended by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Development Shobha Karandlaje and KRCL Regional Railway Manager B.B. Nikam, among others.
Inauguration of the complete electrification of the track, which was certified for operation of electric loco-hauled trains on March 28, facilitates seamless operation of trains on electric traction on the western coast of the country.
While Train Nos. 16515/16516 Yeshwantpur-Karwar-Yeshwantpur Tri-weekly Express was the first coaching train to run on electric traction between Mangaluru Junction and Karwar on January 20, KRCL’s earlier announcement to operate 10 pairs of trains on electric traction from May 1 did not happen for administrative reasons.
Mr. Nikam told The Hindu that as of now the Karwar Express was the lone coaching train running on electric traction in the State, while the corporation is operating almost all freight trains, except towards South Western Railway (SWR), on electric traction. South Western Railway is yet to complete electrification of the Madgaon-Londa and Mangaluru-Hassan sections.
He further said that all the seven, but one in Bali, Goa, electric substations in the Karwar region have been commissioned and are ready to feed electric locos. Post the inauguration on Monday, KRCL will commence handling coaching trains on electric traction from adjoining zones in a phased manner after notifying the zones concerned, he added.
The last of the sections of KRCL’s network to be certified for operating trains on electric traction by the Commissioner of Railway Safety was Ratnagiri in Maharashtra and Thivim in Goa on March 28.
KRCL network handles over 35 pairs of coaching trains operating between the southern States and the northern States. Two pairs of trains connect Mangaluru with Mumbai via KRCL network.
