Konkan Railways, Finest Rail Journey In India :

Konkan Railways, Finest Rail Journey In India :

Designed and built by Indian engineers in a record time of eight years, the Konkan Railway takes us on a breathtaking journey through rugged mountains, lush valleys, sunlit paddy fields, bustling villages and glistening rivers that lead out to sea. 

 

Heralding the realization of a long-cherished dream of the people of the Konkan region, the construction of Konkan Railway effectively connected the South-Western Coast of India with the rest of the country in a point-to-point straight line.

Today, the Konkan Railway travels 738 kilometers through the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, starting just after the Roha railway station (75 km south of Panvel in the suburbs of Mumbai) in Maharashtra and ending at the Thokur railway station near Mangalore in southern Karnataka. 

Beyond that comes Southern Railways stretch of Kerala, which again is not to be missed.

Image Credits : Map of India

Design and Build Plan.?

* The tale of how Konkan Railway was designed and built is an interesting story that not many know about. 

* This feat of engineering had been contemplated by the British a century ago and abandoned as being too formidable.

* Work on the line running along the western coast of India began as early as 1964 when a line was laid between Diva and Panvel. It was further extended to Apta two years later in 1966. 

* However, it was only in October 1984 that the Ministry of Railways decided to build the railway route, dubbed the Konkan Railway after the coastline it hugged, that would cover the west coast line from Madgaon to Roha. 

* Two years later in 1989, work on the Konkan Railway officially began.

The Konkan Man :

George Fernandes, who is later also called as The Great Konkan Man, the then Railway Minister, belonged to Udupi persuaded Dr. E. Sreedharan, a veteran railway man known for brisk efficiency, to become the Chairman and Managing Director of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.that was founded in 1990.

Flag-off :

* After eight years of labour, the first passenger train along the picturesque Konkan Railway sea route was flagged off on January 26, 1998, during Republic Day of India. 

* In a country where it takes years to complete a flyover, this was an incredible speed of construction and achievement.

* It is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most difficult infrastructure projects India has undertaken and successfully completed since Independence.

Image Credit : The Hindu, dated 23rd Jan 1998

Scenic Beauty :

* This scenic route also had India’s then-longest ever tunnel at Karbude, which is 5.6 km in length. The route also has a 424 viaduct for a single line of broad gauge track over the Panval river.

* Nine tunnels were painstakingly dug by hand, meter by meter, as the digging equipment did not have the technology to tackle the wet, soft and loose clayey soil surrounding the tunnels.

Some Tunnels..

* A visible example of the ingenuity and the dedication of the builders, the Panval Viaduct connects two hills and has 12 spans and 10 pillars, 6 of which are taller than the Qutub Minar ! At present, it is the third highest viaduct in Asia.

Some Viaducts..

Famous Dudhsagar Viaduct

Story : Amaravathy Express (18048/18049) crossing Dudhsagar Waterfalls

* If you are a railway fan and as well as a nature lover, then you should take this trip and it will take around 20 hours for the entire journey from Mumbai to Mangalore, the 2 cities that are connected by Konkan Railway.

* I would suggest you to take the trip in two parts, first from Mumbai to Madgaon, Goa and second from Madgaon to Mangalore or vice versa and both starting at morning, so that you won’t miss the beautiful sceneries along the route.

* The main station / hot-spots across the Konkan Railway are Udupi, Mookambika, Murdeswar, Gokarna, Karwar, Madgaon, Karmali, Sawantwadi, Kudal, Ratnagiri, Chiplun & Khed.

* I would suggest everyone to visit this route on the monsoon time (July – October) as it will be more green at this time and the rivers will be flowing full-fledged and the waterfalls will be fully visible.

* The railway line is sandwiched between the Arabian Sea on one side and the Western Ghats on another, 2000 bridges and 92 tunnels .At the time of completion, all the longest tunnel of India were present on this line and the Karbude Tunnel (6.5 km) was the longest one. Panval Viaduct (210 ft.) constructed on this line was third tallest viaduct in Asia when the line was completed.

* The most scenic stretch on KR in my opinion is Kolad - Pernem.

* Once we enter Goa (near Pernem), all the bridges across major Goan rivers are absolutely beautiful. 

Saving Nature..

Saves Us.

Pro Tips : 

* If anyone wish to admire Konkan Railways beauty, I would suggest to board a day train (best options are Janshatabdi or Mandovi Express from Mumbai till Goa). If you take any overnight train, you will not be able to see any natural beauty en route.

Some Nature Covered Railway Stations in Konkan Route :

Route NH 66 : 

* 1622 km stretch of awesome landscapes, highway that runs north-south along the western coast of India parallel to the Western Ghats. 

* It connects Panvel (a city south of Mumbai) to Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari), passing through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 

* If you are considering a road trip, this is one of the stretch you don't want to miss. 

* And the image below is glimpse of NH 66 passing through Byndoor. (Udupi district)

Interesting and Amazing Facts About Konkan Railway

* Longest Tunnel: Karbude Tunnel of the Konkan Railway (6.5 km).

* Monsoons may cause massive landslides in this region. It therefore has two time tables - one for monsoon and another for regular season.

* Konkan Railways runs 375 kms of its journey in Maharshtra, 110 kms in Goa and 245 kms through Karnataka.

* The Konkan railway line passes through 3 states of India – Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. 

* There are 56 stations along the un-electrified line.

* The presence of Arabian Sea and Western Ghats on either side of the track leads to a large number of tunnels and bridges throughout the route. 

* You can count more than 2000 bridges and 90 + tunnels on this route.

* Apart from Indian railways, Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) was amongst the 1st to build its own railway line. 

* It is partly owned by Government of India, Indian railways and state governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.

* The land for the railway tracks was acquisitioned from more than 40000 land owners, which was a humongous task. Proper compensation was allotted apart from jobs in lieu of the land.

* The government of India approved its construction and the foundation was laid in September, 1990.

* It is a difficult terrain to build a railway line due to presence of rocks and clayey soil yet, Konkan railways has succeeded to do the improbable.

* Konkan railway extends for more than 700 kms, covering natural beauties in the form of rivers, mountains, and sea.

* The Konkan railways passes through an area of Deccan plateau, that is prone to earthquakes. These may cause landslides and eventual material loss apart from grave loss of lives.

* You can see the most amazing scenic beauty on this route from lush green Sahyadri Mountains to the Zuari River in Goa and the Dudhsagar waterfall in Karnataka.

Conclusion :

Konkan Railways isn't any kind-off tourist spots, where people use to rush and enjoy some viewpoints, malls, palaces, buildings.etc., but our MOTHER NATURE. The journey here is itself is the destination. 

To Travel is to live,

To Travel is to believe, 

That journey is better than the destination..

There is satisfaction in roaming freely, without any hesitation..

Roads, mountains, hills and sceneries..

There is pleasure in watching the greeneries..

New places, New people, New experiences..

Travelling soothes all our senses!

By plane, by train, by bus or auto,

To travel is the only motto!

Travel is all about the Experience, not the Destination!!!