Sadananda Gowda for Hassan,Mangalore rail line doubling

Railways looking for investors to fund the project

August 20, 2014 10:33 am | Updated 10:33 am IST - MANGALORE

Only 14 trains can be operated in 24 hours due to speed restrictions and simultaneous movement of freight and passengers trains in the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section. File Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Only 14 trains can be operated in 24 hours due to speed restrictions and simultaneous movement of freight and passengers trains in the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section. File Photo: K. Murali Kumar

The March 2016 deadline set by Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda for the 172-km Bangalore-Hassan new railway line, if completed on time, may reduce travel time between the two cities. However, it will not bring more trains — freight or passenger — as the bottleneck is in the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road (55 km) ghat section.

Due to restrictions on speed and simultaneous movement of freight and passenger trains through the ghat section, only 14 trains could be operated in a span of 24 hours, officials of Hassan-Mangalore Rail Development Corporation (HMRDC), specially constituted for the purpose of construction of the broad gauge line on the stretch, said.

Aware of this bottleneck, Mr. Sadananda Gowda is working towards doubling the rail line. He told The Hindu that the Ministry is looking for potential investors, including the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), to take up the project. He said that the Railways has allowed elsewhere private parties to construct lines for transporting their freight.

At the same time, the Ministry is in touch with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which has assured it of giving environment clearance for projects in up to 40 hectares of forest land. Mr. Sadananda Gowda is hopeful of getting clearance for the entire 55-km stretch.

Enhanced connectivity

Sources in HMRDC said that the bulk of the freight from Karnataka, now being moved out of the country through ports on the eastern coast, could be brought to NMPT upon line doubling. The Railways could run at least 20 freight trains in a day catering to the requirements of the industry as well as NMPT.

Doubling proposal is already with the Railway Board and the final survey is likely to be completed by this year-end, the sources added. The project cost could be over Rs. 2,500 crore at a rate of Rs. 10 crore per km in the plains and Rs. 25 crore per km in the ghat section.

Sources in NMPT sounded not very keen on funding the line doubling as desired by Mr. Sadananda Gowda. However, if the Ministry of Shipping so desires, the trust would take up the responsibility, they said.

Even without line doubling, more trains could be introduced by constructing catch-sidings in the ghat section or providing crossings at four way-side stations, they said.

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