Konkan Railway
Maharashtra to Karnataka, India · about 740 km · about 12 hours
A coastal line threading tunnels and river bridges between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
A railway that was once thought impossible
For most of the twentieth century, the Konkan coast between Mumbai and Mangaluru had no direct railway. The strip of land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is cut by dozens of rivers, steep laterite ridges and soft, waterlogged soil, and travellers depended on coastal steamers, slow buses and long detours inland.
The Konkan Railway changed that. Built through the 1990s and opened along its full length in 1998, the line runs roughly 740 km from Roha in Maharashtra, through Goa, to Thokur near Mangaluru in Karnataka. Engineers drove close to a hundred tunnels and well over a thousand bridges to keep the track as level and straight as the terrain allowed, which is why so much of the journey alternates between darkness and sudden, wide views across river mouths and paddy fields.
What you see from the window
North of Ratnagiri the landscape is red earth, mango and cashew orchards, and small villages with tiled roofs. The train crosses broad estuaries on long, low bridges, and on clear mornings you can see fishing boats drawn up on the mud flats below.
Further south the line passes through some of its longest tunnels, including the Karbude tunnel near Ratnagiri, one of the longest railway tunnels in India. Between tunnels you get glimpses of deep green valleys and, during the monsoon, waterfalls running straight off the cliffs beside the track.
In Goa the scenery softens into coconut palms, white churches and wide rivers such as the Mandovi and Zuari. Beyond Karwar the hills come right down to the sea, and near Murudeshwar the giant statue on the headland is visible from the train.
When to go
The monsoon, roughly June to September, is the most dramatic time to ride. The hills turn a vivid green, rivers swell and waterfalls appear everywhere. Trains run on a slower monsoon timetable for safety, so the journey takes longer, and occasional landslides can cause delays.
October to February brings clear skies and cooler weather, which is better if you plan to get off and visit beaches and forts along the way. March to May is hot and humid on the coast, and the hills look dry and brown.
Which side to sit on
The sea is to the west, so on a southbound train it is on your right and on a northbound train it is on your left. In practice the line runs a little inland for most of its length, and the best views are of rivers, estuaries and valleys, which appear on both sides. If you only get one choice, take the sea side for the Goa and Karnataka stretches.
Planning the trip
Most travellers ride a section rather than the whole line. Mumbai to Madgaon in Goa is the most popular stretch and takes most of a day. Several daytime trains on this section offer reserved chair-car seats, and some services carry glass-roofed Vistadome coaches designed for sightseeing; book these early because they sell out quickly.
Overnight trains cover the full route but pass the best scenery in the dark, so choose a daytime train if the views are the point of the trip. Carry water and snacks; station stops are short and the pantry service varies between trains.
Places worth getting off for
- Ganpatipule coast
- A quiet white-sand beach below a seaside temple, a short drive from Ratnagiri. Get off at Ratnagiri and take a taxi for about an hour.
- Sindhudurg Fort
- A 17th-century sea fort on a rock island off Malvan. Boats leave from Malvan jetty; allow half a day.
- Palolem beach
- A crescent bay in south Goa with calm water and palm-lined sand. Get off at Canacona, about 5 km away.
- Gokarna beaches
- Cliff-backed beaches such as Kudle and Om, reached by a coastal trek or short ride. Gokarna Road station is the closest stop.
- Murudeshwar
- A giant Shiva statue and temple on a headland, visible from the train as you pass. The station is right beside the temple town.