Member of Parliament Kota Srinivas Poojary said railway projects on the Konkan belt would receive more central funding if the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited merges with Indian Railways [1].
This proposal targets the coastal region spanning Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka. A merger would potentially move these projects under the central railway funding mechanism, allowing for a greater allocation of resources and improved infrastructure across the belt [1].
Poojary, representing Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, said the current structure of the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited may limit the scale of available financial support. By integrating the corporation into the broader Indian Railways framework, the region could better access national budgets for critical upgrades [2].
Infrastructure expansion is already underway in the region. The Konkan Railway is currently finalizing a survey for patch doubling projects covering 263 km [3]. Doubling the tracks is a primary goal to increase capacity and reduce congestion on the heavily used coastal route.
Integrating the two entities would streamline the administrative process for these large-scale projects. Such a move would align the Konkan belt's operational goals with the central government's broader railway modernization strategy [1].
Poojary said the shift in organizational structure is a key step toward ensuring the long-term viability of the corridor. The move would transition the regional projects from a corporate-led funding model to a state-backed central mechanism [2].
“Railway projects on the Konkan belt will receive additional central funding if the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) is merged with Indian Railways”
The proposed merger reflects a strategic shift toward centralizing the management of critical coastal infrastructure. If implemented, moving from a corporate funding model to a central government mechanism could accelerate the 263 km doubling project and other capacity upgrades by removing the financial constraints of a standalone corporation.
