Mumbai to Goa, no driving drama — let Konkan Railway carry your car

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The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) is exploring a novel plan to ferry passenger cars and SUVs on trains during the upcoming Ganpati festival season, offering travellers an alternative to congested highways. If implemented, it would mark the first time passenger vehicles are transported via the railway’s existing Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) service, currently used exclusively for trucks. The initiative is being planned on a trial basis, subject to technical feasibility and public demand, Mid-Day reported.

“We’ve been carrying trucks for a long time. Allowing passenger vehicles is something we can definitely consider,” KRCL Chairman and Managing Director Santosh Kumar Jha told the media at the corporation’s headquarters in Belapur, Navi Mumbai, on Tuesday. “We’ll aim to try it during the upcoming Ganapati festival season,” he added.

The Ro-Ro service, which enables loaded trucks to be transported via rail wagons, currently operates only between Kolad and Mangaluru. In this system, trucks are driven onto specially modified wagons via a ramp and secured for the journey. Drivers and cleaners travel in their trucks with valid second-class tickets.

To replicate this for private vehicles like cars and SUVs, the KRCL will need to alter wagon dimensions to accommodate smaller vehicles and ensure safety standards. A minimum of 40 vehicles would be required for the service to be viable, Jha confirmed. Vehicles would be loaded at Kolad, Maharashtra, with travel time to Mangaluru estimated at around 24–26 hours, as per HT.

“I promise you that this time in Ganpati, I will announce a special train (Ro-Ro),” Jha told reporters. He admitted surprise at the demand for ferrying private cars over a 750-km stretch but acknowledged that bypassing highway congestion could appeal to many.

The idea, if implemented, could significantly ease road traffic during the high-movement festive period, especially given the popularity of the Mumbai–Goa route for Ganesh Chaturthi. Jha cautioned, however, that several technical details such as height clearances, ramp access and securing mechanisms must first be resolved, Mid-Day reported.

In another significant development, the KRCL has cut its monsoon timetable short by 10 days this year, with the revised schedule set from June 15 to October 20. Jha credited improved infrastructure, including cleaned drains, geo-safety projects and 24/7 patrols at vulnerable spots. Trains will slow to 40 km/h during heavy rain, while LED signals and flood warning systems at key bridges like those over the Kali, Savitri and Vashishti rivers enhance safety, as per Mid-Day.

Looking ahead, the Konkan Railway has proposed new tunnels at Pernem and Old Goa along an alternate alignment and the plan has received in-principle approval from the Railway Board, though funding allocation is still awaited. Jha clarified that the existing tunnels are not unstable.

Jha emphasised KRCL’s profitability, reporting a Rs 301 crore net profit in 2023-24 and targeting Rs 15,000 crore in new orders this year. The corporation is also repaying loans, with Rs 600 crore due this fiscal. “The Konkan Railway was always in profit, barring two years of COVID-19,” said Jha, as quoted by HT.