Indian Railways plans for big merger; need Kerala's approval for implementation

MUMBAI: The central government is in the process of merging the Konkan Railway Corporation with the Indian Railways. The Konkan Railway Corporation is a joint venture between the Indian Railways and four states. The states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra are the partners apart from the Indian Railways. The approval of all four states is required for the merger to become a reality.

Goa and Karnataka have already given their consent to the merger. BJP-ruled Maharashtra is also in favor. In that case, all that is needed for the merger to become a reality is Kerala's approval. There has been a long-standing complaint that there are no significant railway projects or developments in the Konkan Railway region. However, if this merger is implemented, the Konkan region will benefit from the progress made towards modernization by the Indian Railways.

Track renovation and other such activities are being carried out with the financial assistance of the state governments that have stakes in the sector. If the merger with Indian Railways becomes a reality, the Konkan route will get more budget allocation. There is a widespread grievance that there are not enough trains on this route at present. Ticket prices are also higher in the Konkan region compared to other railway routes. It is hoped that these and other issues will be resolved with the merger.

There is a public grievance that since there are two different timetables in a year, allowing full capacity trains in this route hasn't been possible and that more emphasis is given to freight trains. The Konkan Railway Corporation, headquartered in Navi Mumbai, started its operations in 1988. The length of the lines is 741 km.