Konkan Railway

The Konkan Railway runs from Mumbai (Bombay) in the north through Goa to Mangalore in the south running alongside the Arabian Sea on the west coast of India. Whilst the coaching stock is owned by the company, locomotives are hired in from other operators with elderly GEC Alco traction predominately working both the freight and passenger services. A map of the system can be viewed by clicking here.

Margao in southern Goa is a focal point for both passenger and freight traffic, and the docks of Vasco-Da-Gama sees intense rail activity with oil, fertilizer, and Iron Ore being brought in from the mountains for export by ship to Japan.

Wow, what a find whilst stopping for lunch at a remote cafe in the mountains on the way to the Dudhsagar Waterfalls. This loaded train comprised of 14714+14xxx+14xxx + 29x58T Iron Ore Tipplers + 14621 + 29x58T Iron Ore Tipplers + 14554+14725+14776 and made one hell of a racket departing the yard for Vasco-Da-Gama Docks.

Gerald brought me here for a few pics just before we picked up Julia for some sunset pictures overlooking the Arabian Sea from Dona Paula. Lucky really because two families of contractors living in palm leave huts on the platform were busy excavating a trench for pipe laying on behalf of Konkan Railway. I wonder how the HSE would view this?

Margao station is sees much passenger and freight traffic and its directional position makes it ideal for photography during the day. Most trains were formed of twenty plus carriages and the station stop was an opportunity to take on water, food, parcels and mail traffic. I was also very grateful to be given a cab ride on an ECS movement to and from the Traincare Depot.

Whilst Konkan Railway keeps its stations very tidy and free from litter it appears not to have the same strategy for removing dead animals from the track as the images show, a week apart.

It was also noteworthy to report that on the day of my visit a gentleman had died on the platform during the early hours of the morning and the body lay in full view of passengers until it was reported to the railway police at 0800 hours. An elderly policeman attended the scene and kept watch over the body as a pack of hungry dogs was eager to seize it until the authorities came to an agreement as to who was responsible for its removal and this lasted beyond the time that I was at the station.  Can you imagine this happening in the UK ? Whilst the policeman was on duty he questioned my reasons for being on the platform and once I had offered him an explanation he asked for his picture to be taken and offered me the opportunity to phot the body.

I was slightly disappointed that prior permission was not granted for me to ride in the cab of a locomotive on a Vasco-Da-Gama bound passenger train and armed with a 12.5p ticket for the forty five minute journey and a bit of tongue in cheek, I managed to persuade the train crew to fulfil my ambition. As with all hooded locomotives it is double manned for viewing purposes with the driver taking the controls on the left hand side. The locomotive was very noisy throughout the journey and attained a maximum speed of 75 kph. The drivers job must be very stressful with the constant stream of people and animals crossing the line in front of the train. There was some humour with passengers leaving the train at Majorda when in astonishment of seeing me in the second mans seat, I told them that next stop was England.