Five trains suffered a delay of seven hours on Friday as they were halted at stations en route and were not allowed to cross the Pamban bridge after wind with a velocity of over 60 km blew across Pamban, the entry point of Rameswaram.
The anemometer at both ends of the bridge automatically turned the railway signal red. Train services resumed only after 10.45 a.m., when the wind velocity slowed to less than 58 km, the anemometer turning the signal green, railway sources said.
The Rameswaram-Madurai passenger left the island at 6 a.m. It was stopped at Pamban at 6 30 a.m. It restarted at 10.45 a.m. The Chennai-Rameswaram Sethu Express was stopped at Mandapam at 4 a.m., and it left at 11 a.m.
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When the Madurai-Rameswaram passenger was stopped at Paramakudi at 8 30 a.m. passengers thronged the Station Master’s room and demanded that the train be operated up to Ramanathapuram. After heated exchanges, the train was allowed to go Ramanathapuram, where it was halted. It left for Rameswaram around 11 a.m., the sources said.
The Chennai-Rameswaram Express, which left Chennai at 9.40 p.m. Thursday, reached Manamadurai at 9 a.m. and was halted there till 10.45 a.m. The Tiruchi-Rameswaram Express was stopped at Manamadurai at 10 25 a.m. and was allowed to proceed at 11 a.m.