Indian Railway is the 3rd largest rail
network in the world after US and China. The railways connect almost all parts
of India. The Indian railway is divided into 16 zones, through which trains run
carrying both freight and passengers. Konkan Railway runs along the Indian west
coast parallel to Arabian Sea and Western Ghats. It is an extremely beautiful
and scenic route running from Maharashtra till Karnataka. The route and rail
line is made and operated by Konkan Railway Corporation and was brought into focus
by the dedicated efforts of Railway ministers belonging to this region. Some
interesting facts about Konkan railway are:
1. The government of India approved its
construction and the foundation was laid in September, 1990.The groundwork for
it was done much before the foundation stone was laid.
2. It took 7 years for completion and
reduced travelling time between Mumbai, Goa and Cochin considerably.
3. The land for the railway tracks was
acquisitioned from more than 40000 land owners, which was a humongous task.
Proper compensation was allotted apart from jobs in lieu of the land.
4. It is a difficult terrain to build a
railway line due to presence of rocks and clayey soil yet, Konkan railways has
succeeded to do the improbable.
5. Apart from Indian railways, Konkan
Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) was amongst the 1st to build its own railway
line. It is partly owned by Government of India, Indian railways and state
governments of Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerela.
6. Konkan railway extends for more than
700 kms, covering natural beauties in the form of rivers, mountains, and sea.
7. You can see the most amazing scenic
beauty on this route- from lush green Sahyadri Mountains to the Zuari River in
Goa and the Dudhsagar waterfall in Karnataka.
8. The presence of Arabian Sea and Western
Ghats on either side of the track leads to a large number of tunnels and
bridges throughout the route. You can count more than 2000 bridges and 90 +
tunnels on this route.
9. The Konkan railway line passes through
3 states of India – Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. There are 56 stations along
the un-electrified line.
10. It runs 375 kms of its journey in
Maharshtra, 110 kms in Goa and 245 kms through Karnataka.
11. An interesting fact about Konkan
railway is that the scenic beauty of this route prompted, train routes being
modified to enhance tourism in this region.
12. Monsoons may cause massive landslides
in this region. It therefore has two time tables- one for monsoon and another
for regular season.
13. The Konkan railways passes through an
area of Deccan plateau, that is prone to earthquakes. These may cause
landslides and eventual material loss apart from grave loss of lives.