Indian Railways’ PSU, Konkan Railway will soon begin the work on the 103 km Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi section.

The decision was taken at a review meeting of Konkan Railway chaired by minister of commerce & industry and civil aviation Suresh Prabhu during which he emphasised that the construction of the said section will be a game changer for not only the Konkan Railway but also for the region and Maharashtra’s economy. It will link the coastal region of Maharashtra with western Maharashtra, lead to development of ports and harbours in the coastal region and allow flow of goods from the hinterland to the coast, he said.

Prabhu said the future economic growth of Maharashtra depends on the connectivity of its coastal areas with the rest of the states and the country.

Konkan Railway CMD Sanjay Gupta said 10 new stations are also being built by the Konkan Railway in the region to benefit villagers living around the stations. The first station will be inaugurated in January 2019, Gupta said.

Railway ministry has already sanctioned the work of Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi line and the national transporter will bear 50 percent of the cost while the rest will be borne by Maharashtra government.