The beautiful metal bridges that span sections of the Nilgiris Mountain Railway (NMR) route from Mettupalayam to Coonoor are to be replaced with concrete structures. The new bridges are being installed as the old metal bridges have become corroded and have become structurally unsound.
Sources from the Salem Division of the Southern Railway said that of the 17 bridges that were to be replaced, work had been completed on six bridges.
The existing metal bridges that were a few decades old were to be systematically replaced with pre-fabricated concrete structures.
The project is estimated to cost Rs. 1.5 crore. The replacement work is not expected to impact the train schedules, according to the sources.
D. Ramanathan, contractor, said that the work was expected to be completed by March 2017.
The contractor is also working and modifying the bridge structures in order to strengthen them against landslides. “Apart from replacing them, the bridges will be strengthened with supports, and avenues will also be made for water to drain through them without affecting their structural stability,” he added.
Even the iron sleepers on the tracks are corroding, and the Railways is replacing the older iron sleepers with concrete ones. K. Natrajan, founder of Heritage Steam Chariot Trust, said that the move to replace the existing steel bridges with concrete structures was welcome from a safety standpoint. He added that the Southern Railways could showcase parts of the older bridge, or an entire section in a museum, so that they could be saved for posterity.
