Panaji, Jun 20 (PTI) Union Minister Shripad Naik and Goa PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral were among those present at Margao railway station on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation virtually from Bengaluru the electrification of Konkan Railway.

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A cargo train was the first service to run from Margao on the newly electrified route, a KRCL official informed.

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He said the electrification of KR was imperative for seamless travel as routes connected to it, like Southern Railway's Mangalore-Shoranur section, Central Railway's Panvel-Pen-Roha, were being operated on electric traction.

He said the KR route passes through the Sahayadri Hills and electrification will help conserve its rich natural heritage as well as flora and fauna.

The Rs 1100 crore cost of the electrification project comprised Rs 200 crore from stakeholders like the Railway ministry and governments of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, as well as Rs 900 crore from lenders like SBI and EXIM Bank, the official said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)