Despite clearing India’s first vertical lift sea bridge in Pamban, Railway Safety report points out several deficiencies

Chennai: India’s first vertical lift sea bridge in Pamban off Rameswaram coast, which is likely to be inaugurated soon, sets a “bad example” of constructing an important structure with glaring lapses “right from planning stage to its execution”, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) A M Chowdhary, who inspected the structure earlier this month, has said.

In a damning eight-page report, which was accessed by DH, the CRS, who conducted a speed trial on bridge that connects the Indian mainland with Rameswaram island via a rail link, pointed out at least half-a-dozen deficiencies, including “non-proper” alignment of the track. The bridge was designed and constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, a Central PSU.

Chowdhary, while approving operations on the newly-constructed bridge after rectifying the corrections given by him, has imposed a speed limit of 50 km per hour over the lift bridge. The new bridge, which will replace the 110-year-old iconic Cantilever bridge, has 100 spans with 99 spans of 18.3m length and one navigational span of 72.5m length across the sea

Being built at an estimated cost of Rs 280 crore, the bridge will lift up vertically, allowing even ships that are large in size to also pass through the Rameswaram coast now. In his report, the CRS pointed out that the century-old bridge was regarded as a technical marvel considering much lesser availability of technology back in those days.

‘Glaring lapses right from planning stage to its execution’

“…considering the corrosive environment that it has withstood, I am constrained to point out that, in stark contrast, the present bridge sets a bad example of constructing an important structure, what with glaring lapses right from planning stage to its execution,” Chowdhary said in his reported dated November 26.

The report comes at a time when the Indian Railways is facing tough questions on passenger safety owing to frequent derailing of trains. The incidents have prompted the opposition parties to criticise Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and accusing him of not learning lessons even after the deadly Balasore mishap that killed nearly 300 people.

Work on the new bridge costing Rs 280 crores began in 2020 but got delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic. Rail traffic on the old bridge was suspended in December 2022 after cracks were noticed on the structure.

The CRS pointed out that adequate measures have not been taken to address the issue of corrosion even when the bridge is stated to be in the second-worst corrosive environment in the world. “The components of the bridge have already started corroding,” he said.

‘Several defects’

The lift-span girder and plate girders are non-Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) standards, the CRS said, while making it clear that he noticed some defects relating to design of various items and fitting arrangements which have resulted in a permanent nonstandard arrangement at one of the bridges.

Chowdhary also asked the Madurai division of the Southern Railway to get the entire track on the bridge re surveyed for deficiencies similar to what have been pointed out by him and get them rectified. “Train services shall be allowed only after a certification by DRM/MDU regarding attention to these deficiencies,” the CRS said in its report.

‘Adequate training needed’

The report also says bridge operators and technicians should be adequately trained and competency certificates should be issued to them as per the approved operational procedure order and complained that the station master at Pamban Block station was not conversant with revised working instructions for dealing of trains between Pamban and Mandapam.

Points-woman at Pamban Block station was not conversant with location of line verification box of bridge axle counter and the resetting procedure, the CRS said and exhorted the need for counselling in this regard. The CRS also pointed out several defects in the signalling system saying many hand corrections or alterations have been carried out in the newly issued interlocking circuits at Pamban Bridge control room.

“Mismatch in interface data between signalling and electromechanical systems at Pamban Bridge has resulted in alterations in approved signalling interlocking circuits at Pamban Bridge control room. To avoid such alterations and ambiguities, interface data between signalling and electromechanical systems shall be jointly approved by Technical HODs,” he said.

The old structure, which is a major tourist attraction for pilgrims visiting Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi, was severely damaged by a cyclone in 1964 that flattened the tiny island of Dhanuskodi, but was restored in a record 46 days by a team of engineers led by then young E Sreerdharan, now known as India’s ‘Metro Man.’