Konkan Rail monsoon timetable: Effective for 4 months, loco pilots get new instructions

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The Konkan Railway on Tuesday said its monsoon timetable will be in effect from June 15 to October 20 this year, shortening the duration by a fortnight compared to previous years.

During a press conference at the Konkan Railway (KR) headquarters at Belapur in Navi Mumbai, its Chairman and Managing Director Santosh Kumar Jha said this year they have reduced the timetable period by 15 days.

"Extensive cleaning of catchwater drains and inspection of cuttings across the route have been conducted. The ongoing and completed geo-safety projects have drastically reduced the instances of boulder falls and soil slippages," he said.

A senior KR official said earlier their monsoon timetable used to be between June 10 and October 31, but this time they have postponed the commencement of the timetable in June by five days and preponed it by 10 days in October.

Jha said he has requested Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene over power grid failures of the MSEDCL (Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company) so that no train gets stranded inside tunnels, though back-up power supply will be kept ready for monsoon to keep trains moving.

The monsoon preparation works were on for the last three months and 636 trained personnel, including those deputed at 40 vulnerable cutting, are being deployed for round-the-clock patrolling at vulnerable locations, he said.

Jha said this year they have spent Rs 34 crore on geo-safety works.

Trains will run at a restricted speed during the monsoon timetable period.

Jha said the speed will be in the range of between 75 km to 120 km in the sections. Between Roha to Veer (47 km) it will be 120 kmph, while it will be 75 kmph in Veer-Kankavali (245 km), and 90 kmph from Kankavali to Udupi ( 377 km) as well as from Udupi to Thosur (47 km).

Loco pilots have been instructed to reduce the train speed to 40 km/hr during low visibility caused by heavy rainfall, he added.