India's First Vertical Lift Railway Bridge Likely To Be Commissioned By 30 September Near Rameswaram

The placement of the crucial lift span girder on the new Pamban Rail Bridge, spanning the navigational channel in the Bay of Bengal, was completed on Saturday midnight, bringing the Rs 545 crore project closer to meeting its 31 August deadline.

The bridge will be around 2.2 km long and will connect Mandapam town in mainland India to Pamban Island and Rameswaram. It will replace the existing century-old iconic structure built during British rule.

India's first vertical-lift railway sea bridge, a modern engineering marvel, promises to redefine connectivity and maritime navigation in the area. It is being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).

"The vertical lift span, assembled on the Rameswaram side of the bridge, was slowly moved to its centre portion over the navigational channel," said an official from RVNL.

The 72.5-metre-long vertical single lift span is designed to move up and down, allowing ships to pass under the bridge.

The lift span was moved inch-by-inch over the past few weeks, covering 450 metres. The remaining work to make the lift operational, including launching the last four of the total 100 girders, will be completed by 31 August.

Three girders on the Rameswaram side and one girder on the Mandapam side were held back to facilitate the centre span's movement.

The new bridge, with a single railway line but provision for a second, will replace the old Pamban rail bridge built in 1914. The construction, which began in 2019, was initially expected to be completed in two years, but COVID-19 and related lockdowns delayed progress.

In December 2022, Southern Railway had to abruptly stop train services on the old Pamban rail bridge due to safety concerns, resulting in trains bound for Rameswaram being short-terminated at Mandapam railway station.

Southern Railway plans to commission the new bridge by the last week of September. General Manager R N Singh has instructed railway officials to plan for the resumption of train services between Mandapam and Rameswaram from 1 October.

Preparations include opening passenger reservations to Rameswaram and ensuring power supply, signalling and communication arrangements, and track fitness by 30 September, reports Financial Express.

This railway bridge holds great significance as it connects the mainland to Rameswaram, a historic south Indian town and one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites, along with Badrinath in the north, Dwarka in the west, and Puri in the east.

This bridge exemplifies the dynamic synergy of tradition and innovation, a hallmark of India's growth story.