Tug boat near Pamban rail bridge salvaged

To facilitate the operation, the Railway suspended train services between 12.30 a.m. and 4.30 a.m. over the bridge.

A pair of tug boat and barge from Mumbai carrying generator for Ennore power plant crossing Pamban rail bridge on Sunday. Photo: L.Balachandar

A tug boat, which remained stranded near the Pamban rail bridge nearly for two weeks, was salvaged in the early hours of Sunday.

The Southern Railway and the Pamban Port conservator heaved a sigh of relief as four high-power boats of a Tuticorin-based firm skilfully pulled the tug boat around 2 a.m and took it away to a safe distance of three nautical miles from the bridge.

To facilitate the operation, the Railway suspended train services between 12.30 a.m. and 4.30 a.m. over the bridge.

After the tug boat was removed, the Pamban Port conservator, after getting clearance from the Rail bridge Engineer, allowed a pair of tug boat and barge, carrying a generator for Ennore thermal power plant from Mumbai to cross through the bridge from south to north.

The pair had been waiting for clearance since January 17. A coast guard vessel and a private vessel, which arrived on Sunday from Mumbai on its way to Kakinada, also crossed through the bridge.

Another pair of tug boat and a barge, carrying a crane from Malpe port in Kerala and proceeding to Krishna port in Andhra Pradesh, would be allowed to cross through the bridge on Monday, the conservator said.