Konkan railway conducts trial run for extending RoRo service till Calicut

Mangaluru: The Konkan railway on Wednesday conducted the trial run for further extending its RoRo (roll on- roll off) service upto Kerala’s Calicut.

The trial run was conducted at Railway tunnel route in Kulashekhara.

Under this service, nearly 30 -40 goods laden trucks can be carried on railway wagons between two destinations.

Presently the same is operational till Surathkal. The lorries carrying goods from Kerala to north Indian destinations are loaded onto a train at Suratkal

The service, which helps reduce traffic congestion as well as air pollution came as a blessing during the Covid 19 lockdown by ensuring the continuity of essential commodities supply chain. In the backdrop of this success, the Southern railway took the decision to extend the RoRo service till Calicut.

The trial run was necessitated as the route from of the Mangaluru to Calicut is electrified. A make-shift structure, similar in dimensions to a goods truck, was carried on the wagon during the trial run.

The 721-km RoRo service between Kolad and Surathkal takes around 21-24 hours for a one-way journey.