Konkan Railway plans Chiplun-Karad line to mark its 25 years

To mark its sliver jubilee this year, the Konkan Railway has proposed to link Chiplun in coastal Ratnagiri district with Karad in Satara district across the Sahyadris, providing rail connectivity between the hinterland of Maharashtra and its Konkan coast.

The linkage will provide a big boost to the industry, said Siddeshwar Telugu, chief public relation officer, Konkan Railway, in a release here.

The route will be 103-km long. As the Maharashtra government is developing or expanding the ports of Rewas, Dighi, Jaigarh, Angre, Vijaydurg and Redi, the Karad-Chiplun line will facilitate easy transport of export/import cargo.

The detailed project report has already been prepared, Telugu said. The 'traffic projection' report has been prepared by Pricewaterhousecoopers while the financial viability study was conducted SBI Capital.

The major cargo that this line will transport is coal used for power generation.

The estimated cost of construction is around Rs 2,500 crore. Maharashtra government would bear half the cost and the balance would be funded through the private participation.

The project is expected to be completed within five years. The special purpose vehicle for the project would be formed within a couple of months and the construction may start soon thereafter, the PRO added.