With electrification works on the Konkan Railway network progressing fast, some trains running on the route from the South may be hauled by electric locos till Kumta in Uttara Kannada district by December this year.
Trains on the Konkan Railway network are still being hauled by diesel locos even as KRCL is working hard to complete the electrification project of its entire network of 700 km by December 2020 at a cost of around ₹ 1,100 crore.
Corporation officials said that electrification of the route between Thokur near Mangaluru and Bijur, off Kundapur (105 km), is almost completed and the line may be energised by mid-October. Similarly, electrification work between Bijur and Kumta (75 km) is also fast progressing and is likely to be completed by November this year. With this, KRCL would have a completely electrified the line of about 180 km from Thokur to Kumta and some trains may be hauled by electric locos. Southern Railway, which has jurisdiction till Thokur, is already running many trains between Mangaluru Central and Thiruvananthapuram section hauled by electric locos.
On the completion of electrification till Kumta, it is possible to extend operation of electric locos till Kumta, KRCL officials said.
Kumta station has three lines and loco reversal facility. As such, loco change from electric to diesel for onward journey towards Mumbai is possible at that station, officials felt.
Line electrification between Kumta and Bali in Goa coming under Karwar Railway Region of Konkan Railway is also fast progressing, but it is likely to be completed by November 2020 and the entire network by December 2020. With this, trains on the West Coast could be operated entirely with electric locos, officials said.
In all, KRCL network would have 15 traction sub-stations to feed power to locos. Nine would be located in the Karwar region. They include Mulki, Barkur, Senapura, Murdeshwar, Kumta, Karwar and Bali.
For running trains with electric locos till Kumta, KRCL needs uninterrupted power supply from Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL) for at least one of the traction sub-stations at Mulki, Barkur or Senapura, officials added.
Published - October 09, 2019 12:50 am IST
