Bridge too high

P. SOLOMON DHANRAJ

The Konkan Railway was dedicated to the nation on May 1, 1998. Unlike other zonal railways it has many special features.

It is a Government of India undertaking (Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.), set up with Maharastra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala states in 1990. The route has 92 tunnels. The one in Maharastra in the Sahyadri mountains stretces to 6.5 metres is the longest in the Indian railways. The tracks inside the long tunnels have no gravel and other materials that usually fill the space between the rails.

The tallest railway bridge in Asia is built on this railway over the Panval Nadhi Valley near Ratnagiri with the height of 64 metres. The supporting tall columns are octogonal and hollow, specially designed to withstand vibrations generated by earthquakes. The deck of the bridge consists of a single continuous pre-stressed concrete box girder manufactured and pushed from one end by the "Incremental Launching System". This is the first bridge in India to have used this new technology.

The Department of Posts issued a special stamp on the occasion of the dedication of the Konkan railway system.

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