Merger of Konkan Railway with Indian Railways gains Public Support

The proposed merger between Konkan Railway and Indian Railways has garnered public support, unlike a previous bank merger that faced opposition. Shobha Karandlaje, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, has expressed her intention to merge Konkan Railway with Indian Railways, a proposition that has resonated with many, particularly various passenger railway forums in the region.Karandlaje's announcement has been welcomed by Rajeev Gaonkar, the secretary of Uttara Kannada Railway Seva Samithi, who noted that they had made the same demand about six years ago. Gaonkar criticised Konkan Railway Corporation, accusing it of not serving the interests of the people. He proposed that the section from Mangaluru to Karwar be operated by South Western Railway, while the remainder should be taken over by Central Railway.Hanumanth Kamath, the President of Paschima Karavali Railway Abhivraddi Samithi, expressed the frustrations of Mangalureans regarding the railway system in the area. The region from the Karnataka border to Thokur is divided between Southern Railway and South Western Railway, leading to logistical challenges. Kamath suggested that merging Konkan Railway with Indian Railways would address these issues.Kamath also highlighted the perceived neglect of the region by Southern Railway, despite contributing a significant portion of their revenue through entities like MRPL, New Mangalore Port, and MCF. He believed that a merger with Indian Railways would provide the necessary infrastructure and facilities for the region.However, there are doubts about the feasibility of the proposal. Anil Hegde, a rail activist, supported the idea but questioned whether the central government or the Railways would approve it. DK Bhat, the convener of Puttur Yatri Sangha, shared similar doubts about the proposal's likelihood of being accepted.The proponents of the merger argue that it would expedite various development works, such as track doubling, enabling more passenger trains for the people of the DK and Udupi regions traveling to Mumbai. Konkan Railway officials refrained from commenting on Minister Karandlaje's proposal, stating that they cannot respond to a minister's statement.The history of Konkan Railway dates back to 1993 when the first passenger train ran between Udupi and Mangaluru. The completed track was inaugurated on January 26, 1998, and the first passenger service train, numbered 12619/620, operated on May 1, 1998, on the entire 741 km network of Konkan Railway Corporation (KRCL) between Roha and Thokur near Mangaluru.