JV to build Chiplun to Karad rail link by ’20
The Indian Railways and Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Pvt. Ltd. (SPCPL) inked the first-of-its-kind memorandum of understanding, under which they will build a 103-kilometre railway line connecting Chiplun in Konkan to Karad in Western Maharashtra. The railway line, which must cut across the Western Ghats, is expected to cost around Rs 3,195.60 crore and take up to four years to complete.
The route, which currently has no train line, will provide important railway links to ports such as Rewas, Vijaydurg Fort, Angre, Jaigad Fort, Dighi and Redi. It will also facilitate the speedy export and import of cargo to and from these ports to the hinterlands, which will help in realizing the Maritime Agenda’s 2020 targets. This connectivity to remote areas will also push the goals of the Centre’s Sagarmala project, which aims to leverage the coastline and inland waterways to drive industrial development.
The project is expected to generate direct employment opportunities for approximately 5,000 persons per year during the construction period and many more later. Work is expected to start after the monsoon season, with the use of a special purpose vehicle for the project. One of the most challenging features of the railway line is building a 12.1-kilometer tunnel, which will beat the current record for the longest railway tunnel in India, held by a 11.2-kilometer tunnel crossing the Pir Panjal ranges of the Himalayas in Kashmir.
The route, which currently has no train line, will provide important railway links to ports such as Rewas, Vijaydurg Fort, Angre, Jaigad Fort, Dighi and Redi. It will also facilitate the speedy export and import of cargo to and from these ports to the hinterlands, which will help in realizing the Maritime Agenda’s 2020 targets. This connectivity to remote areas will also push the goals of the Centre’s Sagarmala project, which aims to leverage the coastline and inland waterways to drive industrial development.
The project is expected to generate direct employment opportunities for approximately 5,000 persons per year during the construction period and many more later. Work is expected to start after the monsoon season, with the use of a special purpose vehicle for the project. One of the most challenging features of the railway line is building a 12.1-kilometer tunnel, which will beat the current record for the longest railway tunnel in India, held by a 11.2-kilometer tunnel crossing the Pir Panjal ranges of the Himalayas in Kashmir.
According to a press release, the SPCPL will have a 74% stake in the project, while the rest will be owned by the Indian Railways.
