Southern Railway has fully cancelled at least 14 trains, truncated or partially cancelled several other services over the next five days to undertake repairs on the pier of the Pamban Bridge which was hit by a Naval barge on Sunday.
The fully cancelled trains are Train No. 22622 Kanyakumari- Rameswaram express leaving Kanyakumari on January 15 and 18; No. 22621 Rameswaram - Kanyakumari express leaving Rameswaram on January 14, 17 and 19; No. 56721 Madurai - Rameswaram passenger, No. 56723 Madurai - Rameswaram passenger and No. 56725 Madurai - Rameswaram passenger from January 14-19; No.56722 Rameswaram - Madurai passenger from January 15 to 20; No.56724 Rameswaram - Madurai passenger, No.56726 Rameswaram - Madurai passenger and No.56829 Tiruchi- Rameswaram passenger and No.56830 Rameswaram-Tiruchi passenger from January 14 to 19. Also, No. 16713 Chennai Egmore- Rameswaram express and the No. 16701 Chennai Egmore- Rameswaram express leaving Chennai Egmore from January 13 to 18 and Train No. 16714 Rameswaram - Chennai Egmore express leaving Rameswaram and No. 16702 Rameswaram - Chennai Egmore express leaving Rameswaram from January 14 to 19 are fully cancelled.
On Sunday, Train No. 16713 Chennai Egmore- Rameswaram express was terminated at Mandapam and all the passengers were transported to Rameswaram by bus from Mandapam to Rameswaram.
Several other trains, including the No. 16701 Chennai Egmore- Rameswaram express were terminated at Ramanathapuram and partially cancelled between Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram on Sunday.
A few other trains, including the No. 16734 Okha- Rameswaram express arriving Rameswaram on January 17, have been terminated at Maduari between January 14 and 20.
A.K. Rastogi, Divisional Railway Manager, Madurai and other senior officers of Madurai division rushed to Pamban bridge for speedy restoration of train services, a railway press note said.
Correction
Train Nos. 16713 and 16701 Chennai Egmore-Rameswaram express trains leaving Chennai Egmore from January 13 to 18 and the Train Nos. 16714 and 16702 Rameswaram Express trains leaving Rameswaram from January 14 to 19 are partially cancelled and not fully cancelled as reported on January 14. These trains have been terminated at Mandapam. The total number of fully cancelled services is ten and not 14 as reported above.