According to Naik, the construction of the new facility at Carnac Bunder would be taken up only after the container transport operations are shifted entirely to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. The project is expected to cost Rs 59 crore, Naik said. At present 24-coach trains are diverted to Kurla Terminus.

Ram Naik told newsmen that the superfast train between Mumbai and Goa will commence from June next year. Work is going on to improve the infrastructure on the Vasai-Diva-Panvel route, he said. While tracks in part of the route have been trebled, rest of the work will be completed in the next few months, the minister added.

As a result of the trebling of tracks on the Vasai-Diva-Panvel sector, trains runningbetween North and South India will pass through the Konkan Railway route, said the minister. The increased traffic is necessary to shore up the profitability of the Konkan Railway Corporation. ``KRC will break even in two years,'' Naik said.

He added that the Railway Ministry is soliciting the help of slum-dwellers to help clear encroachments between Borivli and Virar. ``The railways won't use force to clear the slums for quadrupling the tracks,'' he said. The railways claim that there are 501 slum-dwellers who need to make way for the rail tracks. ``I will persuade them to move back,'' Naik said.

GOA CONNECTED BY SOUTH CENTRAL RLY: Passenger train services resumed on the South Central Railway connecting Goa to Southern and Central India. Passenger traffic on the Vasco da Gama-Londa (Karnataka) sector was discontinued after the lines were converted to broad gauge in 1997.

The commissioner for railway safety had recommended that catch-sidings be constructed along this route between Collem andCastle Rock stations as a precautionary measure. Since this was not feasible railway engineers fabricated an automatic emergency brake system as a substitute, according to Naik. The equipment which was cleared by the commissioner for railway safety will be installed in all trains plying on this route, the minister added.

By March next year, the railways will have procured 200 coaches fitted with the automatic emergency brake system to run frequent services connecting Vasco to other Indian towns.