The much-awaited first vertical sea bridge on the Indian Railways network, connecting the holy site of Rameswaram will be a reality soon! The work on the new Pamban railway bridge over the sea has started, according to officials quoted in a PTI report. The new 2.05 km long Pamban bridge, which will be connecting Mandapam on the mainland and Rameswaram at the Pamban island, will have the country’s very first vertical launch rail section. Interestingly, the new Pamban bridge will be built parallel to the existing 104-year old bridge. The work on the new Pamban bridge will be completed in a span of two years, according to railway officials.
The new Pamban bridge is being built by Railway Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). In the month of March this year, the foundation stone for the Pamban bridge was laid by PM Narendra Modi in the city of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
New Pamban railway bridge: Top facts
- Upon construction, the new bridge will be over 2 km long with 100 spans of 18.3 metres and also, with one navigational span of 63 metres. This navigational span of the bridge will move vertically upwards in order to allow for the movement of ships and steamers.
- In the existing bridge, the Scherzer span is operated manually in a bid to allow the movement of ships, while the proposed facility of the bridge will have the electro-mechanical controlled systems. These systems will be interlocked with the train control systems for a seamless system connectivity.
- Arrangements have also been made for continuing the construction work on the bridge, even during the rainy season and in this regard, all the necessary equipment required for the project have been brought to Pamban.
- The Pamban bridge will not only help Indian Railways operate trains on the route at a higher speed, but will also allow trains to carry more weight. It will increase the volume of traffic between the mainland of Pamban and Rameswaram. This area is of religious significance.
- The Pamban bridge is a Rs 250 crore Indian Railways project. The original bridge was commissioned in 1914 to connect the last station on mainland Indian peninsula, which is Mandapam, to the Rameswaram island in the Gulf of Mannar. Till the year 1988, it was the only surface link which was connecting the two places, until a new road bridge was built parallel to the link.
Along with the Pamban bridge project, Indian Railways is also looking to re-establish the railway connectivity from Rameswaram island to Dhanushkodi. This project has been proposed as a 17 km long rail line, which will provide an easy option to travel for the devotees visiting the holy place. Dhanushkodi is the starting point of Ram Setu and this new rail link project will bring Ram Set on the Indian Railways map.