No plans to merge Konkan Railway with Indian Railways: Govt to Lok Sabha

The government has no proposal under its consideration for the merger of the Konkan Railway with the Indian Railways, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Patil Danve said the Konkan Railway is a corporation (public sector unit) and the central government has always been helping it.

“At present, there is no proposal to merge the Konkan Railway with the Indian Railways,” he said during Question Hour.

The Konkan Railway connects Mumbai with Mangalore. The 741-kilometre line passes through Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka along the western coast.

Referring to various railway projects, Danve said the projects are sanctioned Zonal Railway-wise and not State-wise, as Indian Railway’s projects may span across state boundaries.

However, as on April 1, 2021, 35 projects (16 New Line, 2 Gauge Conversion and 17 Doubling) costing Rs 91,137 crore for 6,142 km length falling fully or partly in Maharashtra are under different stages of planning or approval or execution, out of which 906 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs 18,008 crore incurred up to March, 2021, he said.