Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) have come together to construct a railway siding facility for the latter’s refinery here.
Tender for the construction of the railway siding facility for MRPL will be opened in January, according to Sanjay Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of KRCL.
Addressing press persons here on Thursday, he said the proposed railway siding will be constructed at a cost of around ₹82 crore near KRCL’s Thokur station.
The proposed siding will have automatic loading facility, and help load products such as pet coke inside the company premises itself. It will be 1.5 km in length, and the project will be completed within 18-24 months from the start of work, he said.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had announced plans to construct a railway siding for MRPL during his visit to Udupi in January this year.
KRCL is also constructing a half-rake siding facility for industries in and around Mangaluru at Thokur. The 330-metre facility is being constructed at a cost of ₹1.75 crore.
On the reason for establishing a half-rake siding, Gupta said new units are coming up at the Mangalore Special Economic Zone. The proposed facility, located near the SEZ, will help the new units that are getting into production mode.
This facility will help load open wagons, covered wagons and containers. The work on the construction of this facility has already begun, he said.
The Railway Ministry has given in-principle approval for the capacity doubling of Konkan Railway route at a cost of ₹4,500 crore. The capacity doubling will include the construction of 21 additional stations and 18 additional loop lines, Gupta said.