Vembanad Rail Bridge

Vembanad Rail Bridge is a rail connecting Edappally and Vallarpadam in Kochi, Kerala. With a total length of 4,620 metres, it is the second longest railway bridge in India.[1] The line was dedicated solely for freight, but is now defunct.

Vembanad Rail Bridge
Coordinates10.006°N 76.258°E / 10.006; 76.258
CarriesRail
CrossesVembanad Lake
LocaleKochi, Kerala, India
Other name(s)Edappally - Vallarpadam Bridge
Characteristics
DesignBeam bridge
MaterialPrestressed Concrete
Total length4.62 km
Width5-metre
Height7.5-metre
No. of spans132
History
Constructed byAFCONS Infrastructure Ltd
Construction startJune 2007
Construction end31 March 2010
Inaugurated11 February 2011
Statistics
Daily traffic15 trains *
Location

Construction

The construction of the bridge started in June 2007 and was completed on 31 March 2010. The rail bridge was built by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd.,Chennai PIU, A Government of India Enterprise (RVNL).[1]

Route

The link from Edapally to Vallarpadam start from Edapally running 3 km parallel to an existing track until it reaches Vaduthala. The rail line then passes through the Vembanad Bridge through 3 small islands, including the Idyakkara and Mulavukad islands in Vembanad Lake to reach Vallarpadam. 80% of the bridge is constructed over water.[2]

Details

A total of 11700 tonnes of reinforced steel, 58000 tonnes of cement, 99000 cubic metre of metal aggregates, 73500 cubic metre of sand, 127000 cubic metre of concrete work and 154308 cubic metre of earth work went into this project.[1] The bridge is constructed over pile foundations at 133 locations.[2] The bridge comprises 231 girders, each weighing 220 tonnes. The bridge has 132 spans consisting of 33 spans of 20 m and 99 spans of 40 m which are made of PSC girders and cater to electric traction.

See also

References
  1. "A bridge over Vembanad Lake". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  2. "Longest railway bridge in Kochi". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
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