Konkan Railway: Part I

Impossible Dream made Possible: The brainchild of veteran parliamentarian from Ratnagiri, Nath Pai, KR runs along the western coast of India, a stretch of over 740km from Panvel to Mangaluru. Konkan Railway covers three states viz. Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. The conception of connecting the three states coastal areas was conceived in 1986. The whole project is an engineering marvel. It has 191 tunnels and 2000 bridges on its route. The hostile terrain and difficult weather conditions of the Konkan region were the main hurdles in implementing the project. The Konkan Railway was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation.  On 19th July, 1990, the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) was incorporated as a public limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Mr. Madhu Dandwate as Minister of Finance was instrumental in getting the budget sanction. The project was inaugurated by the than Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Friday 1st April 1998. It is one of the most exciting routes that serves as a lifeline to the Konkan Coast and provides a scenic beauty of nature which the tourists and travellers can enjoy throughout the year.