Finally, after waiting for a long time, rail connectivity between Mandapam and Pamban stations of Tamil Nadu has been revived with the opening of the new Pamban Bridge by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Five kilometers away from each other, these stations were previously connected through the century-old Pamban Bridge constructed by the British in 1914. With time, the bridge weakened and was finally decommissioned in December 2022, suspending train services to Pamban island and limiting services to Mandapam on the mainland.
Of the entire five-kilometre length, two kilometres cover the Bay of Bengal, connecting the Indian mainland to Pamban island. While Mandapam is the terminal railway station on the mainland, Pamban is on the island and is connected further to Rameswaram station. As the old bridge was not fit, work on a new, modern bridge started in 2019, and now with its completion, rail services have been resumed over the sea.
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Restored Rail Link to Major Cities
Almost 30 trains, both upward and downward, will run from Rameswaram during the week, reestablishing the island’s link with cities. The importance of the station can be seen as it connects places like Ayodhya and Varanasi in the north. While the bridge was closed, trains ended at Mandapam, but now they can go further.
One of the new services introduced is the Rameswaram–Tambaram daily express which is 11 hours and 30 minutes long. The PM Modi-flagged off train arrived at Rameswaram station within 20 minutes, which is the operational success of the bridge. According to News18, sleeper class tickets for the initial week have already been sold out.
Rameswaram is now connected to Chennai on a daily basis, with four trains daily. Secunderabad, Kanniyakumari, Bhubaneswar, Okha, Firozpur Cantt, and many more cities have direct trains to the island.
India’s First Vertical Lift Sea Bridge
The newly built Pamban Bridge is 2.08 kilometres long and has India’s first vertical lift span. A 72.5-metre section can be raised up to 17 metres to enable ships to sail through. “Learning a lesson from the old bridge, anti-corrosive materials have been used in the new one,” officials said, citing enhanced durability.
The project had to overcome huge environmental and structural obstacles, but the bridge is once more ready to carry traffic. Depending on the direction of the wind, train speeds across the bridge would be variable, but the journey between Rameswaram and Mandapam would normally take 15 to 20 minutes.
Bridge Inspired by London’s Tower Bridge
Inspired by London’s famous Tower Bridge, the structure was constructed with 5,800 metric tonnes of stainless steel and 340,000 bags of cement. Initially estimated at Rs 280 crore, the project’s cost ultimately swelled to Rs 704 crore, which has been confirmed by the Railways.
With the new sea connection now established, the Rameswaram area is once again part of India’s extensive railway system, and there is the assurance of an increased level of connectivity, tourism, and regional development.