Udupi: Train accident averted on Konkan Railway route as vigilant staffer notices defect on track
Udupi (Karnataka) May 26: A potential disaster was avoided on the Konkan Railway route near Udupi, thanks to the vigilance of track maintainer Pradeep Shetty.
In the early hours of Sunday, at 2.25 am, Shetty discovered a track weld failure between Innanje and Padubidri. He promptly reported the defect to the concerned officials, preventing a possible train mishap.
The defect on the track was swiftly fixed, and by 5.58 am, a track-fit certificate was issued with a speed restriction of 20 kmph for trains running on it.
Santosh Kumar Jha, Chairman and Managing Director of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), recognised Shetty’s quick action and announced an immediate cash award of Rs 25,000. The award was presented to Shetty at the restored track site later in the afternoon.
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Passenger Vishal Shenoy, who was aboard the Panchaganga Express bound for Karwar, recounted that the train was detained at Nandikur Station, approximately 9 km south of Padubidri. Simultaneously, the Netravati Express bound for Thiruvananthapuram Central was also held up at Innanje. Shenoy observed a Rail Maintenance Vehicle (RMV) heading towards Padubidri for track restoration work.
Train Number 16345, the Mumbai LTT-Thiruvananthapuram Central Netravati Express, was scheduled to depart from Udupi at 3 am, while Train Number 16595, the KSR Bengaluru-Karwar Panchaganga Express, was due to pass through the affected stretch around 4 am on Sunday.
Both trains remained stationary until the track defect was rectified.
Sudha Krishnamurthy, Manager of Public Relations at Konkan Railway, confirmed that train traffic resumed after the track received a certification for safe operation, albeit with the speed restriction in place.
However, the cause of the track defect has not yet been disclosed by Konkan Railway officials.
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Adani Group emerges lowest bidder for Bengaluru’s 16.75-km tunnel road project
Bengaluru: The Adani Group has become the lowest bidder for both packages of the proposed 16.75-km tunnel road project in Bengaluru, according to sources familiar with the bids opened by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE).
According to a report published by Deccan Herald on Monday, the government estimated the entire project to cost Rs 17,698 crore, while the Adani Group has quoted Rs 22,267 crore. The ports-to-power conglomerate’s bid is about 24% higher for the first package and 28% higher for the second than the government’s estimates, a gap that could prompt authorities to seek the state Cabinet’s approval on the tenders’ fate.
M Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), who is also the Managing Director of B-SMILE, declined to comment.
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In all, four infrastructure companies had participated in the tenders for the project, which has been proposed under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, with 40% funding from the government and the remaining investment to be raised by the private concessionaire.
During the technical evaluation, the Adani Group and the Hyderabad-based Vishwa Samudra Engineering Ltd qualified for the financial round.
According to the report, Dilip Buildcon was disqualified due to a clause that bars firms linked to collapsed bridges or tunnels, while Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) was rejected because its joint venture (JV) partner did not meet technical requirements.
With only two companies left in the fray, the Adani Group emerged as the lowest bidder, ahead of Vishwa Samudra.
The tunnel project officially named the North–South underground corridor, is part of the Congress government’s ambitious to ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion by building two major underground roads (totalling 40 km) along with 13 flyovers and elevated corridors.
The project is the brainchild of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister.
The proposal, however, has faced criticism and political opposition, especially from senior BJP leaders, who object to the alignment that requires acquiring six acres of Lalbagh Botanical Garden, a historic green space.
As per the report, Urban mobility experts have also warned that the tunnel corridor may clash with the alignment of Namma Metro’s Phase 3A, possibly affecting the metro expansion.
