Konkan Railway’s special Ro-Ro service finishes inaugural run, offering convenient festival travel

Panaji: Konkan Railway’s special roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) train service for private cars successfully completed its maiden journey from neighbouring Maharashtra, arriving in Goa in the early hours of Sunday, an official confirmed.

The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) introduced this new service to ease travel for motorists and passengers ahead of the Ganesh festival season in the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa.

Speaking to the media, KRCL Deputy General Manager Baban Ghatge said the train delivered four cars at Nandgaon, near Kankavli in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, while one car was offloaded at Verna in South Goa.

The journey was a truly memorable experience for the families travelling with their vehicles, Ghatge remarked, encouraging more people to take advantage of the service to help reduce road congestion during the festival period.

The train, comprising ten car-carrying wagons and two passenger coaches, departed Kolad station in Raigad district at 3.40 pm on Saturday with five cars and 19 passengers on board.

The service includes a dedicated air-conditioned coach and a second seating coach, ensuring comfort for passengers while their vehicles are securely transported, he added.

Future trips will be planned based on passenger feedback and overall response, Ghatge said.

In a press release issued on Saturday, Konkan Railway noted that for all scheduled Ro-Ro car service trips up to September 11, registrations will be accepted until 5 pm three days prior to the date of journey, excluding the travel day.

The cost for transporting a car is Rs 7,875 for the Kolad–Verna route and Rs 5,460 for the Kolad–Nandgaon route.

PTI