South Western Railway commissions double-track project in Goa

The South Western Railway (SWR) inaugurated the doubling of the 15.2 km railway line in South Goa between Sanvordem-Chandorgoa-Margao on Sunday.

The SWR said in a statement on Sunday that non-interlocking work at Sanvordem, Chandorgoa, and Madgaon was completed as part of the doubling project.

Environmentalists are opposing three projects in Goa, including the doubling of the railway track.

Officials said that preparatory work began on September 25 and that the pre-non-interlocking work began on October 3.

The commissioning of this double line, according to SWR general manager Sanjeev Kishore, will improve train mobility in the section by eliminating the need for trains to wait for crossings.

The Supreme Court's Central Empowerment Committee (CEC) had rejected the key rail expansion project in April, citing serious environmental concerns. Despite red flags being raised at various levels, the Centre cleared these projects last year. However, the Supreme Court has yet to hear the case.

The reorganised Hubli division of South Central Railway and the Bangalore and Mysore divisions of Southern Railway were combined to form South Western Railway. It has been in operation since April 1, 2003, with its headquarters in Hubli, Karnataka. The railway is divided into three divisions: Hubli, Bangalore, and Mysore, and serves primarily the state of Karnataka, which accounts for 84% of its jurisdiction. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Goa account for the remaining 16% of its route length.

In Karnataka and its districts, there has been a noticeable improvement in railway services.

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