The first plans for constructing a railway line along the west coast of India were proposed in 1880s, but they were not carried out because there were many problems with the technology of the day. A feeble attempt to extend the line from Bombay to Mangalore was made much later, however between 1964 and 1986 only 100 km of track were laid down. In 1990 the Konkan Railway Corporation was formed to build the remaining 760 km within five years. The new railway linking Bombay with Mangalore was inaugurated in 1996. It is 1127 km shorter than the old route. The reduction in distance enabled the Konkan Railway to cut down the journey time. Even if trains run at a maximum of only 100 km/h, the journey time between Bombay and Mangalore will come down from 41 hours to 15 hours. Train speeds of 130 km/h or 160 km/h will provide timesavings that are even more spectacular. Besides, it had been estimated that fuel saving of more than Rs2 billion was achieved. About 11% of line is in tunnels. These tunnels are equipped with sensors to monitor air pollution, temperature and visibility. The ventilation system is activated automatically via the data obtained from the sensors. The exact position of a train within the tunnel is indicated on a panel in the traffic control room* at the tunnel entrance. The Konkan Railway has the longest railway tunnel in India (its length is 6.5 km), the tallest viaduct in Asia (the 64 m – high). There are 2,134 bridges on the line. An integrated computerized system covering trains control and scheduling, ticketing, rolling stock monitoring has been developed for the line operation – another first for India. The Konkan Railway has a considerable impact on the lives of more than 10 million people who live in its adjacent area. Construction has already provided direct and indirect employment for a large number of people. The all-weather line provides a cheaper form of transport and accelerates industrial activity based on locally available minerals such as iron, ore, and bauxite. The scenic beauty of the area is exceptional and 160 km express trains are being planned between Bombay and Goa to stimulate tourism in the region. Составьте к тексту письменно пять вопросов на английском языке. Вопросы
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