New Pamban Bridge can withstand even stronger cyclones than the one in 1964: RVNL Director

New Delhi: The New Pamban Bridge inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, can withstand cyclones of greater intensity than the one in 1964 which substantially damaged the old bridge, a senior official on Sunday said.

MP Singh, director (operations) at Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), said this bridge has been designed "to withstand a wind speed of 230 kmph as well as considerable seismic loading".

"The 1964 cyclone had a wind speed of about 160 kmph and caused substantial damage to the old bridge. However, the Scherzer Span, which used to be opened for ship movement, survived the cyclone and was not damaged," he told PTI.

RVNL is responsible for planning, designing, execution and commissioning of this first-of-its-kind vertical lift spanner bridge.

Singh said this was one of the prominent factors that "challenged us at the design stage".

"And we took additional measures to ensure that high intensity cyclones cannot cause any harm to the bridge," he added.

Besides, there are certain safety protocols as well. For instance, the lift spanner will remain in a seated position all the time and will be lifted only at the time of movement of ships.

Singh said the girders placed on the concrete pillars are 4.8 meters high from the sea water level so even in case of high tide, the probability of water level reaching the girder is almost negligible.

"The girder of the old bridge was 2.1 meter high from the sea water level so during high tide, the water splashed not only the girders but sometimes the track as well," he added.

The massive cyclonic storm that hit Rameshwaram on December 22, 1964, had devastated the area as well as the rail network.

The Railway Ministry, sharing the details of the tragedy, said that the six-coach Pamban-Dhanushkodi passenger train had left Pamban at 11.55 pm on December 22 with 110 passengers, including a party of students and five members of the railway staff, on board.

"Arunachalam Kumarasamy, the Bridge Inspector, Pamban, piloted the train. The signal at Dhanushkodi outer went dead and the train stopped for a while. The driver decided to take a risk and gave a long whistle," the ministry said in a statement.

"That is when a giant 20 feet wave rose from the turbulent sea and smashed the train. Though the initial reports put the casualty figure at 115 (based on the number of tickets issued at Pamban), it was suspected that the toll would have been around 200 as more passengers were said to have travelled ticketless on that night," it added.

The tragedy came to light on December 25 when the Southern Railway issued a bulletin based on the information received from the marine superintendent, Mandapam.

The ministry said there were reports that huge pieces of the train's wooden carriages were washed ashore on the Sri Lankan coast. Apart from the train accident, the death toll on the island exceeded 500.

"All communication was disrupted. The Pamban viaduct was washed away leaving only the piers, few PSC Girders and the lifting span," the ministry added.