‘Debt-ridden KRCL can’t augment infra base, merge it with Railways’

Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. is biased towards needs of coastal Karnataka, alleges Sunil Kumar

A view of Kundapura railway station under the Konkan Railway Corporation’s network.

Karkala MLA and Opposition Chief Whip in Legislative Assembly V. Sunil Kumar has urged Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to merge Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., (KRCL) with Indian Railways (IR) as it is unable to augment infrastructure for lack of funds.

In a letter to Mr. Goyal, Mr. Kumar said formation of KRCL and construction of the 760-km new line was a stupendous work that changed the economics of the coastal region of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. However, KRCL has failed the people of the State though Karnataka is a stakeholder in the company.

KRCL has shown accumulated losses of ₹1,800 crore and in such a situation, one cannot expect it to double the entire network with electrification in near future, Mr. Kumar told

The Hindu . As a company, it has own limitations to augment infrastructure even as KRCL appears to be concentrating only between Mumbai and Goa, Mr. Kumar said.

He said KRCL is unable even to execute patch-doubling of the track for funds constraint whereas the immediate need is doubling of the entire network as line capacity utilisation has crossed 160%.

SWR and CR

Mr. Kumar suggested to Mr. Goyal to bring Railway network between Mangaluru and Madgaon under South Western Railway and between Madgaon and Roha under Central Railway after the merger, after which the IR can speed up infrastructure augmentation, he said.

He also noted that KRCL was allowed to charge 40% extra tariff for passenger and goods traffic to pay back the debts for 10 years, which continues even after 20 years of its inception. Nowhere in the country, passengers are made to pay extra fare in this scale, Mr. Kumar said.

KRCL appears to be biased while addressing requirements of Karnataka, the MLA charged citing its unwillingness to accommodate trains required for the region, including speeding up of Bengaluru-Karwar night express; speeding up Mangaluru-Madgaon Intercity Express; combining the Intercity and Dadar-Madgaon Jan Shatabdi Express and the like. Railway stations in coastal Karnataka have not been developed on a par with those under Indian Railways. Mr. Kumar said he would meet Mr. Goyal along with legislators from three coastal districts soon to impress that Railway network in the region could be developed only if KRCL is merged with the IR.

KRCL authorities were not willing to comment on the demand.