First vertical lift rail bridge all set for introduction; PM Modi will reach Rameswaram this month

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Train service will soon resume through this famous bridge, accentuating the beauty of picturesque Rameswaram. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the bridge this month. The date has not been decided.

This is the first vertical lift rail bridge in India, built to allow ships to pass through. The bridge will connect Ramanathapuram Mandapam with Rameswaram (21 km) in Tamil Nadu. The new bridge replaces the infamous Pamban Bridge that once turned Dhanushkodi into a ghost town after the 1964 cyclone and the tragic train accident that drowned 115 passengers.

The bridge was planned to be inaugurated in October 2024, but some last-minute alterations changed the plans. It was postponed after the Railway Safety Commissioner pointed out some defects in the construction.

As part of the test run, a Coast Guard ship was allowed to sail through the bridge by lowering it and later aligning the bridge for the train to pass through. Travel between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi will become smoother once the bridge is inaugurated.

The total cost for the project is a whopping Rs 531 crore, undertaken by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.

When the cyclone destroyed the bridge, engineer ‘Metroman’ E Sreedharan came to the rescue, heading the essential reconstruction work and making it ready for train service again. The 110-year-old bridge was closed on December 23, 2022, for safety reasons.