A high-speed trial run for the newly built Pamban Sea Bridge in Rameswaram was completed successfully on Thursday, November 14. The Southern Railway’s Commissioner of Railway Safety, A.M. Choudhary, supervised the inspection between Mandapam and Pamban stations. The new bridge, constructed parallel to the iconic old Pamban Bridge, is set to open for train services soon, marking the old bridge as a significant part of history.
The final inspections needed to open the bridge to traffic are now complete, and an inauguration date will be set following the Commissioner of Railway Safety’s report. This new Pamban Bridge is India’s first vertical-lift sea bridge, allowing ships to pass underneath by vertically lifting a section of the bridge. Built by the Railway Engineering Department at a cost of ?535 crore, it is expected to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister later this month or early next month.
For over 100 years, the Pamban Cantilever Bridge served as a crucial link between Mandapam and the pilgrimage sites on Pamban Island and Rameswaram, but structural degradation prompted safety concerns. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) began constructing a modern replacement in 2019. With the old bridge closed in December 2022 due to its condition, the new bridge will provide a safe, reliable link for the region, constructed in phases to ensure stability and durability.
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