The New Pamban Vertical Lift Railway Sea Bridge will soon transform rail travel between Pamban and Rameswaram. This bridge, designed to lift vertically to allow ships to pass, will reconnect afterward for train movement. The bridge is 2.05 km long and stands three meters taller than the old bridge, at 22 meters above sea level. It has 100 spans of 18.3 meters each, with a central span of 63 meters.
Trains will run faster on the new bridge, reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h, compared to 10 km/h on the old bridge. The project cost over Rs 545 crore and used advanced technologies like stainless steel and a durable painting system.
The old Pamban Railway Bridge, built in 1914, was closed on December 23, 2022. It previously connected Mandapam and Rameswaram Island.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for this project in Kanyakumari in March 2019. The New Pamban Bridge will boost rail traffic between Pamban and Rameswaram and serve travelers to Dhanushkodi.