Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) bagged its first construction project in ‘Gods Own Country’, Kerala. The company has entered into a Detailed Project Report cum Construction contract with Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL), a Government of Kerala Undertaking for connecting Vizhinjam International Seaport with the national railway line. About 12 kms. of railway line is required to be constructed and the plan is to connect the seaport with Balaramapuram station which is south of Thiruvananthapuram.  

Out of the total 12 kms of track, 8 kms. of railway line is through tunnels. The estimated expenditure for this project is ` 555 Cr. excluding land cost. The project of construction of railway line is entrusted to KRCL, considering its proven record of construction of tunnels and Railway projects in time, through a G.O.(Rt) No.95/2018/F&PD dated 08th February 2018 to VISL.  The contract was signed in the august presence of Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Honorable Chief Minister of Kerala and Shri Kadannappalli Ramachandran, Hon’ble Minister of Ports, between Dr. Jayakumar, MD&CEO of VISL and Shri Sanjay Gupta, CMD of KRCL at a function held in the office of Chief Minister on 20.02.2018.

Incidentally, KRCL also received a work order for preparing Detailed Project Report for the construction of New BG Railway line between Thalassery and Mysore via Mananthavadi, from Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) on         1st February 2018.

Government of Kerala holds 6% of the Equity shares of KRCL along with three other State Governments viz. Maharashtra - 22%, Karnataka – 15% & Goa – 6%. Konkan Railway Corporation Limited is fully owned by Government of India and four State Governments.