Functions of Engineering Department

Engineering Department is responsible for:

• Maintenance of Track, Bridges, Tunnels, Stations and other structures.
• Construction of new stations, additional loop lines and other structures.
• Construction of sidings, Road Over Bridges (ROB), Road Under Bridges (RUB), etc.

Track Maintenance System

The Track Maintenance System on Konkan Railway is fully mechanised. The maintenance system is broadly divided into three distinct tiers.

a) Top Tier

The top tier consists of 3 Track Tamping Machines for plain track and 2 Turnout Tamping Machines for points and crossings. These machines maintain the entire 738.941 km route and all turnouts.

Locations requiring attention are identified through Track Recording Car runs and Oscillation Monitoring System results. Systematic tamping of the entire track is carried out once every two years.

b) Middle Tier

The middle tier consists of Mobile Maintenance Gang (MMG) units responsible for isolated spot tamping (slack picking).

• 9 Rail Maintenance Vans (RMVs)
• One RMV under each Senior Section Engineer
• Coverage of approximately 70–80 km
• Each gang consists of 6 multi-skilled personnel
• Responsible for isolated welds, rail fractures and track maintenance

c) Bottom Tier

The bottom tier comprises Track Maintenance and Monitoring Gangs working under Junior Engineers (Permanent Way).

• Track length covered: 30–40 km
• Gang strength: 12 trackmen
• Daily maintenance of isolated locations using off-track tampers
• Maintenance of bridge approaches, switch expansion joints and transition curves

Level Crossings

There are 86 Manned Level Crossings on Konkan Railway. There are no unmanned level crossings.

Geo-Tech Safety Works of Cuttings and Tunnels

Konkan Railway passes through difficult terrain along the Western Coast and Western Ghats. The region receives heavy rainfall averaging 3500–4000 mm annually, with rainfall intensity often exceeding 50 mm per hour.

The railway alignment consists of lateritic soil, boulder mixed soil and jointed basalt rock.

• 91 tunnels having a cumulative length of 84.496 km.
• 563 cuttings having a cumulative length of 223.786 km.
• Cutting depths vary from 10 to 45 metres.

Heavy rainfall causes seepage into lateritic soil, reducing its shear strength and increasing the possibility of soil slips and slope failures.

A committee of three senior officers annually inspects cuttings and tunnels. Sectional Engineers and Assistant Engineers regularly inspect vulnerable locations. Recommendations from the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) are also implemented for slope stabilization.

Geo-Tech Safety Performance

Number of Boulder Falls / Soil Slips:

Geo-Tech Safety Works

Flattening of Cutting Slopes, Construction of Toe Wall, Ballast Retaining Wall & Catch Water Drain Lining

During construction, the cutting slopes were considered stable. However, repeated heavy rainfall, seismic activities and weathering altered the soil and boulder characteristics, making slopes vulnerable to failure. As a permanent solution, existing cutting slopes are being flattened. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Preventing Soil Erosion

After flattening the cutting slopes to 1:1 with 4–6 metre wide berms at every 6–8 metre height, locally available grass and Vetiver grass are planted to prevent soil erosion. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Provision of Steel Boulder Net

Steel boulder nets are installed to prevent loose boulders from falling onto the track. These nets have successfully trapped loose boulders and prevented accidents. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Provision of Rock Bolting

Rock bolting has been carried out inside tunnels to anchor loose rock to the parent rock. Pattern bolts place the rock strata under compression, preventing rock failures and minimizing tension in weak rock formations. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Provision of Shotcreting

Shotcreting has been completed in tunnels to prevent boulder falls. It is an economical and effective rock support system that fills cracks, fissures and joint planes, reducing rock displacement. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Provision of Gabion Wall

Gabion walls made of steel mesh boxes filled with boulders are used as retaining walls. Since they are fully permeable, hydrostatic pressure does not build up behind the wall. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Abstract of Geo-Tech Safety Works Completed

Year-wise Expenditure on Geo-Tech Safety Works

Traffic Facility Works and Other Works Completed

Commissioning of Double Line

• Roha – Veer Section (47 km)

Commissioning of New Crossing Stations

• Zarap
• Vinhere
• Nandikur
• Madure
• Loliem
• Innanje
• Kharepatan Road
• Sape-Wamne
• Mirjan
• Kadawai
• Kalambani Budruk
• Achirne
• Veravali
• Indapur
• Goregaon Road

Commissioning of New Halt Stations

• Chitrapur
• Saundal

Commissioning of Additional Passenger Loop Lines

Kolad, Karanjadi, Vinhere, Anjani, Chiplun, Kamathe, Sawarda, Aravali Road, Nivsar, Adavali, Vilavade, Rajapur Road, Vaibhavwadi Road, Nandgaon, Kankavali, Sindhudurg, Sawantwadi Road, Thivim, Karmali, Madgaon, Balli, Ankola, Murdeshwar, Surathkal and Thokur.

Commissioning of Goods Loop Lines

• Ratnagiri
• Verna

Commissioning of New Sidings

• HPCL Siding at Thokur – 3.22 Km
• Thokur Bypass to NMPT at Panambur – 2.755 Km
• UPCL Siding at Nandikur – 4.995 Km
• MRPL Siding at Thokur – 1.587 Km
• MMLP Siding at Balli for CONCOR – 1.161 Km

                                                                                                                                                                                       Last Updated on: 31-07-2026