Pier damage forces cancellation of train services to Rameswaram
The 100-year-old Pamban rail bridge, India’s first cantilever bridge across the Palk Strait, connecting the mainland with the Rameswaram Island, suffered damage as a barge rammed it early on Sunday.
Tossed by gusty winds and the stormy sea, the barge, after anchor failure, drifted towards the bridge and came to a halt after ramming a pier of the historic two-km bridge.
Multiple hits
“The pier got tilted 60 degrees after multiple hits. The mast and girder also tilted,” a senior Railway official told The Hindu. After the incident, a span got disconnected, triggering red signal for trains, the official said.
The Madurai-Rameswaram passenger train was to leave Madurai at 12.10 p.m. and cross through the bridge at 3 a.m. but the Railway officials cancelled the service before the train left Madurai.
Division Railway Manager (Madurai Division) A.K. Rastogi, who inspected the bridge, said pier no. 121 suffered damage. “It will be restored within seven days. Till then, train services will remain suspended,” he told journalists.
The Railways would repair the pier and claim damages from a Kolkata-based firm, the owner of the barge, he said. There were 10 crew members aboard the barge and they are all safe, informed sources said. None could be contacted about the mishap.
On being alerted, officials went to the site on Saturday night, Railway sources said. However, they watched helplessly as the barge rammed the bridge.
Pamban port officials claimed that major damage to the bridge was averted as they had pulled back the barge with the help of fishing boats. Half a dozen mechanised boats were pressed into the salvage operation. After hours of concerted effort, the barge was anchored at a safe distance. It suffered damage on the rear side. The high drama started with the arrival of a tugboat of the private company with the barge, which also came from Kolkata. The tugboat was towing it to Karwar when it met with the mishap. The company had planned to hand over the barge to the Navy in Karwar.
The two vessels arrived on Wednesday night and anchored on the northern side off Pamban, awaiting clearance from port officials for crossing the bridge. Trouble began when the tug boat ran aground after anchor failure late on Thursday evening.
The port authorities launched a salvage operation with the help of fishing boats on Friday. But they suffered a setback on Saturday with the ‘anchored’ barge drifting towards the bridge and getting stuck close to it, following heavy winds.
However, locals and politicians including BJP National Council member K. Muralidharan accused the Pamban Port and Railway officials of “bungling.”
“The vessels have been there for three days and there was no visible action from the authorities either to pass through the bridge or anchor them at a safe distance,” Mr. Muralidharan told The Hindu.
The bridge has 145 pillars and a portion of it opens up like a pair of scissors to let ships pass under it.
It was built in 1913 and thrown open for rail traffic in 1914. Set to celebrate its centenary, the bridge is regarded as one of the early heritage structures of the Railways.
Keywords: Pamban rail bridge, Pamban bridge
Had the Barge forcefully hit the Pamban bridge, it would have brokern.Thisis a lesson as to how avoid this little damage?
On either side of rail track bridge, let theri another parrelel Girder
running on either side with strong reinforcement,which prevent the damage or a full covered iron bridge can very much prevent similar damage.of ocurse it costs much and railways can afford this safety.
As usual the TN govt is silent on this, though this is a central govt
project and the railways has the responsibility the people who are
affected are those who live in Rameshwaram.
I am shocked to see the public standing on the track to watch the accident. They are risking thier lives by standing on a precarious position. One can also look at where thier legs are and how slippery can happen. The lives of the rescuers is also put on risk. The photograph above should be used as an evidence to register a case against the officials who were negligent of thier duty. I wonder why The Hindu has not raised this issue in the news item, so that innocent civilians avoid such life risks in future.
The barge collided with the bridge and has caused damage. It was drifting for 3 days. Using small boats to pull the barge is not the right thing to do. Any sensible person will understand it. The officals concerned should have used heavy boats which can withstand it should be used. It is the officals callousness of not bothered. The concerned officals should be dismissed so no more future incidents will happen.
It is to be noted that Rameswaram was put on the Broad Gauge network
of Indian Railways when Congress president and UPA Chairperson Sonia
Gandhi inaugurated the converted Rameswaram – Manamadurai railway line
and flagged off train services on Sunday 12th April, 2007 at a
function in the Rameswaram Railway Station. I wonder why Navy and
Railways had not thought of opening the middle gates in the middle of
the bridge on stopping the rail traffic and planned to tow the barge
towards the other side safely as it would have been easy while the
wind was drifting towards the bridge. If the barge and the tug boat
had been pulled to high seas through the other side of the bride, an
accident of collision with the bridge would have been avoided. It is
desirable that a high level inquiry is conducted to investigate and
punish those who are culpable for the incident. The rail bridge constructed in the British era must be thoroughly
checked for the smash up happened and the rail services are to be
resumed only after adequate repairs ensuring strength to the bridge with
total security free from vulnerabilities due to any unforeseen tidal
waves and stormy weather conditions.
What a beautiful Photograph by The Hindu!
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