India’s railway project

The first plans for constructing a railway line along the west coast of India were proposed in 1880s but they were not carried out. A feeble attempt to extend the line from Bombay to Mangalore was made much later but between 1964 and 1986 only 100 km of track were laid down. In 1990 the Konkani Railway Corporation was formed to build the remaining 760 km within 5 years. The new railway linking Bombay with Mangalore was inaugurated in 1996. It is 1127 km shorter than the old route.

The reduction in distance enabled the Konkani Railway to decrease the journey time. Even if trains run at a maximum of only 100 km per hour, the journey time between Bombay and Mangalore will come down from 41 hours to 15 hours. Train speeds of 130 km per hour or 160 km per hour will provide time savings that are even more spectacular. Besides it had been estimated that fuel saving of more than Rs2 billion was achieved.

About 11% of line goes through tunnels. These tunnels are equipped with sensors to monitor air contamination, temperature and visibility. The ventilation system is activated automatically via the data obtained from the sensors. The exact position of a train within the tunnel is indicated on a panel in the traffic control room* at the tunnel entrance. The Konkani Railway has the longest railway tunnel in India (6.5 km), the tallest viaduct in Asia (the 64 m). There are 2,134 bridges on the line.

An integrated computerized system covering trains control and scheduling, ticketing, rolling stock monitoring has been developed for the line operation – another innovation for India.

The Konkani Railway has a considerable impact on the lives of more than 10 million people who live in its adjacent area. Construction has already provided direct and indirect employment for a large number of people. The all-weather line provides a cheaper form of transport and accelerates industrial activity based on locally available minerals such as iron, ore, and bauxite.

The scenic beauty of the area is exceptional and 160 km/h express trains are being planned between Bombay and Goa to stimulate tourism in the region.

Note: *traffic control room – пункт управления движением

Ex.25. Choose the appropriate word combinations to complete the sentences.

1) The Konkani Railway was inaugurated in…

a) 1986. b) 1990. c) 1996.

2) The reduction in distance resulted in…

a) increasing train speed. b) cutting down journey time. c) decreasing fare.

3) The speed potential of the Konkani Railway is…

a) 100 km/h. b) 130 km/h. c) 160 km/h.

4) About 11% of the line is laid down…

a) under the ground. b) in the tunnels. c) on the bridges.

5) The journey time from Bombay to Mangalore is…

a) 12 hours. b) 30 hours. c) 41 hours.

TEXT D

Read and translate the text using a dictionary. Put questions to the underlined words.