Konkan Rail accords priority to safety

Udupi, Karnataka, Mar 16 (UNI) The Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC) Limited has spent Rs 100 crore in the last three years on safety measures along the track under the five-year safety plan, its Chairman and Managing Director Dr K K Gokhale said today.

Addressing reporters after the inauguration of three platform shelters, erected at the railway station here at a cost of Rs ten lakh by the public sector Syndicate Bank, he said the safety measures had ensured that there was no accident since January 2005.

Dr Gokhale said survey had been conducted on the entire Konkan railway track. The track had also gone in for rock bolting and would have line tunnel within the next two years, minimising mishaps.

Steps have been taken to have constant round-the-clock patrolling during the monsoon season and early warning system at one km distance from each station.

To a query, he said the Nagarjuna Power Corporation, which had proposed to set up a 1015 MW coal-based power project near Padubidre, had approached the KRC for the movement of coal required for the plant. However, ONGC, which had proposed to take up a petrochemical project in Mangalore, had not yet approached it.

Dr Gokhale said KRC would add eight to ten foot overbridges and second platforms at several railway stations, besides setting up IVRS enquiry system.

Ruling out introduction of any new train on the route, except for holiday special trains, he said KRC would remain a Corporation and there was no proposal to merge it with the Indian Railways.

UNI MA GD LS KP2318