Date:01/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/01/stories/2006090100931500.htm

National

"It may be risky"

Staff Reporter

Rameswaram: The work has started, but doubts remain. A section of engineers and railway officials are concerned over the gauge conversion work on the Pamban bridge. They feel that it may be risky to convert the metre gauge section into broad gauge on the existing structure.

The officials involved in the planning for gauge conversion insist that the existing bridge structure is "unsafe" to take heavier load.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said they had suggested retention of the metre gauge shuttle across the Pamban to provide the link to the other side. "Even metre gauge trains run at a very low speed because of the weak structure. Expert opinion was to construct a new railway bridge to lay a broad gauge line and till that is ready, to use a metre gauge shuttle in the nature of a heritage run. Unfortunately, they are rushing through the conversion now and we are worried about its safety," a senior engineer said.