Mangaluru : The monsoon timetable of the Konkan Railway will come into effect from June 10.

The Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. has stated in a release that passengers, who have been issued with journey tickets prior to this, have been requested to check the timings of their train well in advance as the departure timings of some trains have been advanced. The new time table would be in force till October 31.

Passengers may monitor their train online during the monsoon by visiting the website www.konkanrailway.com. They can check train status by dialling 139 or toll-free number 18002331332.

As the monsoon is expected to arrive by the first week of June, the railway corporation has completed all planned safety works on its route from Kolad to Thokur .

It would conduct monsoon patrolling as per the provisions of the Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual to ensure safety along the track. As many as 950 personnel would be patrolling the route. Vulnerable locations would be patrolled round-the-clock and watchmen would be deployed at critical locations. Speed restrictions would be imposed at vulnerable locations. Excavators would be kept ready at all nominated points for quick movement in case of any emergency. Instructions have been issued to the loco drivers to run at a reduced speed of 40 kmph in case of heavy rainfall when visibility is reduced. Nominated trains passing by the route during night would be footplated by officers / supervisors in the monsoon. Self propelled ARMVs (accident relief medical van), with provision for operation theatre and providing emergency medical aid, have been kept ready at Ratnagiri and Verna (Goa) along with ARTs (accident relief trains).

Mobile phones have been provided to loco pilots, station masters and other field officials, including executives of various departments. Both loco pilots and guards of trains have been provided with walkie-talkie sets and stations on the Konkan Railway have been equipped with 25 Watt VHF base station. This would enable wireless communication between the train crew as well as train crew and station master.

Emergency communication sockets have been provided at a distance of average one km along the Konkan Railway route that would enable the patrolmen, watchmen and other field maintenance staff to contact station master and train controllers during any emergency situations in train operations. Satellite phone communication has been provided in ARMV situated at Ratnagiri and Verna stations for contacting headquarter control room when ARMV is pressed in to service.

Three control rooms — at Belapur, Ratnagiri and Madgaon— would work round-the-clock during the monsoon.