Divisional Railway Manager, Madurai, Sunil Kumar Garg evaluated the progress made in replacement of steel girders with pre-stressed concrete girders in an 88-year-old steel bridge across the Tamirabharani at Kokkirakulam here on Monday.
With minimal disturbance to the rail traffic, the Madurai Division of the Southern Railway has undertaken the major work on an outlay of Rs. 10 crore.
As the steel bridge, constructed in 1927, is not strong enough to withstand the speed of the trains being hauled by electric locos, the railway started replacing steel girders with pre-stressed concrete girders, each weighing about 40 tonnes, in the last week of February.
To facilitate the replacement of steel girders, line block for six hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for 17 Sundays from February 22 to June 14 has been permitted by the railway.
Least disturbance
Line block has been scheduled in such a way that there is least disturbance to train services.
Mr. Garg inspected the spot on Monday along with a team of officials. Speaking to reporters at the site, Mr. Garg expressed satisfaction over the manner in which the work was progressing.
Save time
On the doubling of track between Madurai and Kanyakumari, he said commuters could save a minimum of 90 minutes if doubling of track between Tirunelveli and Chennai was completed.
He said that the ongoing gauge conversion work between Shencottai and Punalur, which was originally planned for completion in 2015, would be completed in 2017 “as several tunnels have to be dug in this ghat section”.
