Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu has said that the
Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi railway route survey has been completed and has
assured of speeding up the process of constructing the railway line.
"The
feasibility study is going on but we will certainly complete the
project," Prabhu said on Tuesday at a function at Panaji in Goa. This
was his first statement on the issue after taking charge as Union
railway minister.
The train service will further connect the city
with Jaigarh port, which has started handling larger vessels for import
and export.
Prabhu added, "There are two proposals before me— one
connecting Karad and Chiplun and another connecting Kolhapur to
Vaibhavwadi. Survey reports are already ready with the Railways. There
is hardly any forest land that could obstruct the proposal. So, the
government is planning to bring clearance for the project."
Elaborating
on the need of the project, the minister said, "We want to bring in
more business activities to bring down the losses of the Railways. The
Vijaydurga site is proposed to be developed as port, which will benefit
the state in generating higher revenue. Such a connection of the railway
lines with ports will boost trade. Freight charges will also contribute
to the Railways' income."
Member of the Zonal Railway Users'
Consultant Committee Shivnath Biyani said, "The train service between
Kolhapur and Vaibhavwadi is of utmost importance for the district. The
unused industrial plots, stagnated demand and higher cost of transport
have had an adverse impact on the development of Kolhapur. Once there is
rail connectivity, it will bring down the transportation cost. The
subsequent benefits will be more investment and employment for all."
"Along
with business potential, Kolhapur is also a major tourist destination.
Rail connectivity will support the flourishing tourism sector in the
district. During the monsoon, train services on the Konkan route get
affected. Some of the trains can be diverted from Rajapur and can reach
their destination via Kolhapur. As no such connectivity is available at
present, it is affecting train service every year," he added.
City MP
Dhananjay Mahadik said, "I have been following up on the issue for some
months. I have written several letters to the railway board appealing
them to take up the issue as will be a mutually benefitting project. It
is also necessary for passenger traffic because if there is a problem on
the Konkan railway route, the trains can be diverted from Chiplun or
Kolhapur."
The Jaigarh port has already started operations and the
development company, Jaigarh Infrastructure Ltd, has signed a memorandum
of understanding with Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd to lay a railway
line from the port to Digni station on the Konkan railway route. It is a
Rs 700-crore project and the company itself has invested a major amount
