[2] For most of the modern era, the Konkan coast of India did not have a railway link connecting its coastal cities, towns and villages.

In 1957 an aerial survey was conducted of the area between Dasgaon, Raigad District in Maharashtra and Mangalore with the object of studying the possibilities of railway development in this region.

Singh's government, backed by then Finance minister Madhu Dandavate and Vice Chairman of Planning Commission Ramakrishna Hegde.

When the Konkan Railway Corporation (KRCL) began asking people to surrender property which had belonged to them for generations, many (convinced of the project's importance) did so voluntarily.

Terrain and the elements were challenging; flash floods, loose soil, landslides and tunnel collapses affected work at many places on the project.

[14] In Goa, which makes up 156.25 kilometres (97.09 mi) of the route, concerns were raised about the environmental and economic impact of the railway.

According to opponents of the project, the coastal railway would destroy habitat, damage historical sites, and disrupt lives in the densely-populated state.

The committee proposed an alternative hinterland alignment passing through relatively-unpopulated regions, which would extend the line by about 27.75 kilometres (17.24 mi) but reduce environmental damage.

But the hinterland alignment was rejected by the Konkan Railway Corporation because it would substantially lengthen & divert the line, deny rail access to Goa's population centers, and delay and increase the costs of construction.

The KRRAC, which had become a political movement, filed public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court in March 1992 seeking an injunction on construction work and diversion of the line through the hinterland alignment.

The high court dismissed the petition the following month, ruling that ... the claim of the petitioners that the alignment would have devastating and irreversible impact upon the khazan lands is without any foundation, and even otherwise, the extent of damage is extremely negligible and a public project of such a magnitude which is undertaken for meeting the aspirations of the people on the west coast cannot be defeated on such considerations.

It cannot be overlooked that while examining the grievance about the adverse impact upon a small area of 30 hectares of Khazan lands, the benefit which will be derived by a large number of people by the construction of rail line cannot be brushed aside.

The Courts are bound to take into consideration the comparative hardship which the people in the region will suffer by stalling the project of great public utility.

Maharashtra, Karnataka & Kerala Governments had given Green signal for doubling & electrification of Konkan Railway Line in 2015/2016.

[18] Through services between Mumbai and Mangalore remained on hold due to a problematic tunnel at Pernem, which experienced repeated cave-ins and flooding.

The route is popular with passengers due to its connectivity with regions hitherto inaccessible by rail and the substantial time savings for travellers between western and southern India.

[32] The Marusagar Express, which runs between Jaipur and Ernakulam Junction and was extended to Ajmer via the Konkan Railway, began service on 12 October 2001.

[34][35] On 1 February 2008, a Garib Rath Express between the Kochuveli railway station in Thiruvananthapuram and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus began service.

[36] The Tejas Express is the first semi-high-speed, fully air-conditioned train fleet introduced by Indian Railways, with modern on-board facilities.

[37] The Mumbai CSMT–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express semi-high-speed train, was also introduced by Indian Railways, with modern on-board facilities.

Its inaugural run was on 27 June 2023 from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Madgaon Junction railway station in Goa.

[40] The corporation introduced roll-on/roll-off (RORO) service, a road-rail system, on the section between Kolad (Maharashtra) and Verna, Goa in 1999;[41] it was extended to the Surathkal railway station in Karnataka in 2004.

[46][47] The line's first major accident occurred on the night of 22 June 2003, when a landslide derailed a Karwar–Mumbai express train at the entrance to a tunnel.

[56][57] An inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety ruled that the accident was caused by the "falling of boulders and earth" on the tracks.