Funds earmarked for major railway developments, including new stations and track-doubling plans
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav addresses via video conferencing. (Right) Konkan Railway officials listen to the announcements.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Goa has been allocated Rs 482 crore in the budget outlay for the Indian Railways for the financial year 2025-26.
This was announced by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at a media briefing through video conferencing on the railway budget for Goa on Monday evening.
The budgetary funds, however, will go to the South Western Railway to undertake capital works in the Goa sector. A total investment of Rs 5696 crore is being made by the Railways in the Goa sector.
Given that Konkan Railway is a corporation with a network comprising railway stations and railway lines in Goa and the entire Konkan region, officials said the development works in the Goa sector are being carried out through the revenue generated by Konkan Railway via its operations.
Later briefing the media along with senior KR official Joseph George, KR Deputy General Manager Baban Ghatge informed that the Rs 482 crore budgetary allocation for Goa will go to the South Western Railway to undertake railway projects in the state.
As far as Konkan Railway is concerned, Ghatge said that since KR is a corporation, funds are not normally allocated for undertaking railway development works in the states. He, however, hastened to add that KR carries out infrastructure projects through its operations and revenue from the equity from the states.
Outlining the development works in the pipeline for the Goa sector, Ghatge said a small station is being built just two kilometres away from Margao at Nessai. “The station will be commissioned once the road infrastructure is completed,” he said, adding that KR has planned to develop railway stations at Neura and Mayem in the immediate future. “Work on the loop line at the Margao railway station is underway, which will augment capacity,” he said.
Joseph George said that KR will go ahead with the redevelopment of the stations at Margao and Udupi. “At Margao, we have reached the stage of conceptualising the plans. There were some queries raised over the redevelopment since the activity should cater to the needs of the city and meet the goals of KR,” informed Joseph George.
To a query from the media on the track doubling of the Konkan Railway route and whether KR will go for land acquisition, George said that Konkan Railway has plans to go ahead with the doubling of the KR line. He, however, hastened to add that KR has already acquired land for the second line along the route. “We may require some land on the line stretch near the bridges and tunnels,” he added.
