Konkan Railway completes electrification of entire 741-km route

The Konkan Railway Corporation on Tuesday said it has completed electrification on its entire 741-kilometre route between Roha in Maharashtra and Thokur in Karnataka.

Electrification will bring about savings of Rs 150 crore on fuel, reduced dependence on diesel, besides ensuring seamless and pollution-free operations, a KR release said.

"The Commissioner of Railway Safety's (CRS) inspection of the last section between Ratnagiri and Thivim was carried out on March 24 and authorisation was obtained on March 28. The CRS inspection of the entire Konkan Railway route was successfully held in six phases starting from March 2020," it said.

It said the foundation stone of the electrification project was laid in November 2015 and the total cost stood at Rs 1,287 crore, the work having been completed despite issues like difficult terrain, extreme monsoons and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Train operations with electrical traction will be implemented on the route in a phased manner, the KR releases said.