Doubling of South Western Railway tracks will be a game-changer for Goa: CM Pramod Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said the South Western Railway track-doubling project, spread across Goa and Karnataka, would be a game-changer for the tourism industry and passenger traffic while arguing that project's critics were wrong about claiming that the project would be used largely for coal transportation.

The chief minister, who is expected to conduct a high-level meeting with officials of the Goa government and the South Western Railways next week, also said new technology would be used to reduce the pollution caused by coal transportation along the rail tracks currently.

"Yes, coal is being transported along the track for now, but we are looking to minimise it and use technology for reducing pollution. It will be a game-changer," Sawant told reporters in Margao town.

"The South Western Railway (SWR) double-tracking is not for coal transportation. It is for passengers and tourism," Sawant also said.

"Yes, coal is being transported along the track for now, but we are looking to minimise it and use technology for reducing pollution. It will be a game-changer," the chief minister said.

SWR's rail track doubling project from Castle Rock railway station in Karnataka to the Tinai ghat railway station in Goa is one of the three projects being opposed by Opposition parties and civil society groups, claiming the projects would lead to the axing of nearly 50,000 trees in the reserved forests in and around Mollem village in South Goa.

The opposition to the projects also stems from the argument put forth by critics, that the doubling tracking of railway tracks and expansion of the National Highway 4 would lead to increased transportation of coal imported to the Mormugao Port Trust in South Goa to steel mills in Karnataka's Bellary region.

The entire track doubling project stretches over a tract of 342 km out of which a 90 kms stretch is located in Goa. Out of the 90 km stretch, the SWR has managed to complete double tracking along only 7 km in the state, in wake of the prolonged protests.

SWR officials have also maintained that the track doubling was not being carried out to exclusively facilitate coal transport, but also to enhance passenger, logistics and military transport capabilities along the sector.