Venduruthy rail bridge, foundation needs replacement

By S. Anil Radhakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 1. Even as the stability of over two dozen railway bridges has come in for close scrutiny in the wake of the Kadalundi rail disaster, Railway authorities have admitted that the Venduruthy rail bridge in Kochi, including the foundation, will have to be replaced as its stability has been affected by corrosion and lack of maintenance.

Railways have imposed speed restriction of 10 km per hour for trains on the bridge, located between Ernakulam Town and Mattancherry. A watchman has also been posted on the bridge as it comes under the ``distressed'' category.

A top Railway official told The Hindu that the stability of the bridge, which has 18 spans of 100 feet each, had been affected by the corrosion and lack of maintenance. The rail bridge which was under the Cochin Port Trust was handed over to the Railways last year-end. Since then, Railways had replaced corroded plates and painted six spans of the bridge. ``In the long run, the bridge and the foundation will have to be replaced,'' admitted a Railway official.

This is the second railway bridge in the Thiruvananthapuram Division after the Kuzhithurai rail bridge across river Tamraparani en route to Nagercoil for which speed restrictions have been imposed.

A speed restriction of 30 km per hour for all classes of trains on Kuzhithurai rail bridge No.161 had been imposed as the stability of the bridge has been affected by illegal sand-mining. The unsustainable quarrying of river sand is also posing a threat to the stability of the rail bridge across the Karamana river.

Although the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) had sounded an alert in their report to the High Court about the stability of the bridges across the river Periyar on account of illegal sand quarrying, the soundings taken by the Railways recently from the river bed beneath the Aluva bridge had not revealed any flaw. ``The Aluva railway bridge is safe and sound for rail traffic,'' the official said.

In the wake of the illegal sand-mining from the river bed near the Karamana and Kuzhithurai rail bridges, the Divisional Railway Manager, Mr. S. Marcus, had written to the Chief Secretaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu urging them to take immediate steps to end the menace. He has also asked the Director General of Police to direct the local police to end the illegal sand-mining at Karamana.

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Section  : Southern States
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