The Konkan Railway’s newly launched Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) car ferry scheme has sparked significant debate among commuter associations, regular passengers, and transport activists. Feedback has been mixed, with some suggesting improvements to make the scheme more appealing, others calling for a complete revamp, and a few demanding that the scheme be scrapped altogether due to its impracticality.

As first reported by mid-day, the Konkan Railway announced it will begin transporting private cars by train between Mumbai and Goa this Ganeshotsav. This marks the first time in India that such a service is being launched. According to mid-day’s report, on July 20 ‘This Ganeshotsav, go to Goa by car, on train,’ the service will begin on August 23, operating between Kolad (Maharashtra) and Verna (Goa). Cars will be transported by train, and up to three people per car will be allowed to travel in an attached 3AC coach after paying the applicable fare. Freight charges per car are fixed at Rs 7875 each way, with each train accommodating up to 40 cars.

“The first major issue is that the Konkan Railway is attempting to run the scheme using its existing Ro-Ro truck infrastructure,” said commuter Rajesh Valmiki. “A Ro-Ro service for cars should start from a regular passenger station like Panvel in Maharashtra and have multiple boarding and exit points at intermediate stations. This would require specially designed rakes with rotating platforms to facilitate vehicle loading and unloading, along with the necessary infrastructure at these stations.