The Hindu

Mangalore, May 29: The Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. has completed its entire planned safety works on the Konkan railway route with special attention to problems faced by it last year at Nivsar station, before the onset of monsoon. The Commissioner Railway Safety (Central Circle) has complimented Konkan Railway for its work on the route, according to a KRCL press release posted on its website.

The emphasis on safety works this time has been to stabilise cuttings and tunnels and improvement of track for better riding quality in order to ensure a safe passage to trains. This largely includes geo-tech safety works, like earthwork for flattening of cutting slope and provision of berms, catch water drain lining, reinforce cement concrete retaining walls, gabion walls, concreting, rock bolting, soil nailing, micro-piling and so on.

Extensive works of this nature had ensured uninterrupted and safe train operations on the route in the last two monsoons. Apart from this, KRCL has also planted nine lakh Vetiver plants on cutting slopes last year to prevent soil erosion and as stabilisation measure. The state of railway track has been improved by CSM tamping and ballast training. Konkan Railway has also planned for 24X7 patrolling along the route.

Konkan Railway officials will also carry out regular inspection of the route. More than 700 personnel will patrol the railway line. The train speed will be reduced to 75 kmph between Veer-Udupi section (645 km) during monsoon.

A special monsoon timetable will be come into effect from June 10. The timetable was implemented during the last two monsoons too and was found effective.

As many as 658 CellOne mobile phones have been provided to train drivers, station masters and other field officials.

Drivers and guards of trains have been provided with walkie-talkie sets and every station on Konkan Railway is equipped with 25-watt VHF base station. This enables wireless communication between the train crew and the stationmaster, the release adds.