Tamil Nadu: PM Modi Inaugurates New Pamban Bridge With Vertical Lift, Flags Off Train Between Chennai And Rameshwaram

On Sunday (6 April), India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge, the new Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who termed it as a "special day for India’s efforts to build top-quality infrastructure!"

The new bridge, which is set to replace the Pamban bridge of 1914, from the British era, stretches across the bright blue waters of the Palk Strait. This bridge links Rameshwaram, situated on Pamban Island, to the mainland of Tamil Nadu.

Modi inaugurated a new train service, the Rameshwaram-Tambaram Express, which will operate daily between Chennai and Rameshwaram using the new bridge.

The new Pamban Bridge, one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by Indian Railways, stretches 2.08 km in length and is constructed alongside the existing old bridge.

The bridge comprises 100 spans extending across the sea, with 99 spans each measuring 18.3 metres in length and the remaining main span measuring 72.5 metres. This main span has the unique feature of being able to elevate up to 17 metres, facilitating the passage of ships beneath it.

The idea to build a new bridge was birthed out of the need to overcome the shortcomings of India's first sea bridge, which had dutifully served for more than a hundred years, and to cater to the increasing volume of traffic.

In 2019, the Government of India approved the construction of a next-generation replacement. The result is a state-of-the-art vertical lift bridge developed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways.

The bridge combines historical continuity with modern engineering, aiming to boost regional connectivity, accommodate future rail needs, and ensure maritime safety.