India, May 22 -- The decks have been cleared to merge Konkan Railway with the Indian Railways, with the Maharashtra government giving its approval last month via a letter written by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The merger, which has previously also been approved by the Karnataka, Goa and Kerala governments, aims to resolve Konkan Railway's financial constraints, enhance operational efficiency, and enable infrastructure growth.

Maharashtra provided its consent for the merger with two riders-the Indian Railways will retain the name Konkan Railway even after the merger, and it will reimburse over Rs.394 crore given by the Maharashtra government as its share during the formation of the Konkan ...