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Konkan Railway’s ambitious Skybus project, after lying in limbo for nine years, is finally being scrapped.
The 1.6-km-long test track placed at about 10 metres above the ground at Madgaon in Goa is to be pulled down and sold as scrap.
Besides the structure, two air-conditioned coaches, part of the Skybus service, will also be sold off as authorities have decided to scrap the project in the absence of qualified bidders.
“It is a sad decision to scrap the project. But there are no other options as we tried for long to make it operational,” said B. P. Tayal, Chairman and Managing Director, Konkan Railway.
The Skybus project, the first-of-its-kind in India, is a modified rail with overhead tracks on the underside of a concrete structure at a height of about 10 m from the ground.
The concrete lane is supported by columns rising from the central verge of existing roads.
“We invited global expression of interest for the project twice but did not get any favourable response,” Tayal said, adding “now the maintenance cost is going up so we have to dispose it before corrosion sets in.”
The indigenous project had cost about Rs 50 crore. Konkan Railway has to spend about Rs 3 crore more for the dismantling the structure.
“It was the decision of the board of directors to scrap the project. A technical committee will be set up now to suggest ways for dismantling the structure,” said the Konkan Railway CMD.
Konkan Railway expects to get Rs 5 crore from the scrap disposal of the project.
Besides scrap disposal, we will try to market the Skybus patents also, Tayal said.
The 1.6-km-long test-track structure is to be pulled down and sold as scrap.
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