Railway Warning: Pamban Bridge Cracks, Urgent Centre to Study Collapse and Fast-Track Iconic Structure Clearances

In a move to improve infrastructure and address safety concerns, a Railways committee has made several recommendations for the construction of iconic bridges in India. The committee, comprising five experts from the Railway Board, Research Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO), Southern Railway, and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), was formed to investigate the “lapses” flagged by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) regarding the construction of the Pamban bridge in Tamil Nadu.

According to the Indian Express, the committee approved the Pamban bridge, which connects Rameswaram on Pamban island with Mandapam station in mainland India, while providing a series of suggestions to avoid any faults in future bridge constructions. The bridge is designed to withstand annual traffic of 50 gross million tonnes and has a design life of 100 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the bridge on the occasion of Ram Navami on April 6, along with the 15th train on the Pamban route.

One of the committee’s key suggestions is the establishment of an advanced centre on bridge research, testing, and health monitoring. This centre would facilitate faster clearance of designs for such iconic structures involving modern technologies by fostering constant interaction between consultants, RDSO, and academic institutes. The centre would also enable the preservation of records on design, drawing, and quality control on welding, as generated during the fabrication of spans. Such records would be preserved by the chief bridge engineer and RVNL for any future reference.

The committee comprises Principal Executive Director (Bridge), Railway Board; a senior official from RDSO; Chief Bridge Engineer of Southern Railway; Director of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL); and an independent safety expert. In its report, the committee stated that the bridge has been designed as per the relevant provisions of the IRS Steel Bridge Code, accounting for the fatigue of annual traffic and a design life of 100 years, making it structurally safe to serve its intended purposes.

The Pamban bridge is 2.05 km long, with a unique 72 m vertical lift span, one of its kind in India. The newly built bridge will replace the British-era bridge, which was opened in 1914 and had a double-leaf bascule section with a Scherzer rolling-type lift span. The existing Pamban Rail Bridge is over 100 years old, having been built in 1914 to connect Mandapam to Rameswaram island situated in the Gulf of Mannar. The old bridge played a crucial role in trade and pilgrimage for over 100 years, but due to corrosion, high maintenance, and operational challenges, the decision to construct a new Pamban bridge was taken.

The new Pamban bridge is a testament to engineering marvels, with its complex design proof-checked by IIT, Chennai, and designed by Spanish company M/S TYPSA, an international consultant. Despite being designed by a foreign consultant, the committee concluded that following an existing standard design of RDSO was not possible, as the bridge’s design had to account for annual traffic of 50 gross million tonnes and a design life of 100 years. The conclusion of this complex project marks a significant milestone in Indian infrastructure development.

Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pamban-bridge-lapses-form-centre-on-bridge-research-special-window-for-clearance-of-iconic-structures-says-railways-panel-9915070/
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Publish Date: 2025-03-30 22:49:00