Konkan Railway to set up Rs 46 crore rail siding facility for Mangalore Refinery

MRPL officials said the company's board had already given approval for the project and around 30 acres of MRPL land would be utilised for the purpose.

Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) will set up a railway siding facility, at an investment of Rs 46 crore over two years, to transport products from Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).

There would be two lines of 800 metres each in the railway siding from Thokur station near here and after completion, around 2,800 tonnes of products are expected to be transported by rail every day, an official release said on Sunday.

The proposed siding would help in the transportation of products like pet coke, polypropylene, sulphur and bitumen from the plant. The project, estimated to cost Rs 46 crore, would be completed in 24 months, it added.

MRPL would have its railway siding for loading and unloading facility in its premises within two years, which would reduce its dependency on transportation of cargo through road. Several products of MRPL, including petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel, pet coke and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were being transported by road.

The railway siding would ensure that a majority of the bulk products would be loaded on goods trains and rakes, reducing the number of goods vehicles on roads and bring down pollution levels, besides avoiding spillage of pet coke.