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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated Asia’s first vertical lift span railway bridge (new Pamban Bridge) in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. The foundation of the 2.08 km long bridge was laid by Modi in November 2019. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin did not attend the program due to language dispute.
The bridge connects Rameswaram (Pamban Island) to Mandapam in mainland Tamil Nadu, India. Prime Minister Modi himself laid its foundation in November 2019. Keeping the future in mind, it has been designed for double track and high-speed trains.
The new bridge made of steel has been coated with polysiloxane, which will protect it from rust and sea salt water. The old bridge was closed in 2022 due to rusting. Since then the rail connectivity between Rameswaram and Mandapam was lost.
According to Ramayana, the construction of Ram Setu started from Dhanushkodi near Rameswaram. Because of this, it is also important from the point of view of faith. Apart from this, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various rail and road projects worth more than Rs 8300 crore in Tamil Nadu.
The Railway Safety Commissioner (CRS) has approved a speed limit of 75 km per hour for the bridge.
The bridge rises in 5 minutes
The new Pamban Bridge is made up of 100 spans. When a ship has to pass, the center span (middle part) of this navigation bridge (bridge that opens for ships) rises up.
It works on an electro-mechanical system. Because of this, its center span can rise up to 22 meters in just 5 minutes. Only one person will be needed for this. On the other hand, the old bridge was a cantilever bridge. It was opened manually through a lever, which required 14 people.
However, if the speed of the sea breeze reaches 58 kmph or more, the vertical system will not work and an automatic red signal will be given. Train movement will remain closed until the wind speed becomes normal. This often happens between October and February. Strong winds blow during these months.
How does the mechanism of the bridge work?
The mechanism of the vertical lift bridge works on a balancing system. Counter-weights have been installed in it. When the bridge rises, both the span and the counter-weight get support with the help of shivers i.e. large wheels.
When the bridge comes down, the counter-weights handle its weight. Due to this technology, the bridge can bear more weight. This makes the vertical lifting of the center span of the bridge smooth and safe.
Understand the process of ships passing under the bridge in 3 steps through animation…
First phase: The center span of the new bridge will be lifted vertically
Second phase: The old bridge will be lifted by tilting
Third phase: The ship will pass under the bridge
Train trial has been done on the bridge
Southern Railway conducted a trial run of a light engine on the new Pamban Bridge on 12 July 2024. This trial confirmed the strength and safety of the bridge. After this, a tower car trial run was conducted on 4 August 2024, in which OHE (Overhead Equipment) tower car was run till Rameswaram station.
On 31 January 2025, the Rameswaram Express train was successfully trialed. The train was taken from Mandapam to Rameswaram station. During this, the vertical lift bridge was lifted for the first time for the patrolling boat of the Indian Coast Guard.
The Railway Safety Commissioner (CRS) has approved a speed limit of 75 kmph for the bridge, but this rule will not apply to the middle part of the bridge i.e. the rising part. 50 kmph has been allowed for the lift part.
The new Pamban Bridge was successfully trialled on 31 January 2024. The train was taken from Mandapam to Rameswaram station.
CRS had found flaws in the new bridge
The CRS of Southern Railway gave an inspection report regarding the Pamban Bridge in November 2024. In this report sent to the Ministry of Railways, three main objections were raised regarding the bridge…
1. The planning of the bridge was wrong. The standard design of Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) was not kept in it.
2. The specification of the bridge is not of RDSO but is international.
3. RDSO was not involved in the execution of the design and construction of the bridge.
The Railway Ministry formed a committee of five people on the basis of this report. Despite this, CRS had allowed train traffic on this bridge with some conditions. MP Singh, Director of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), included in the committee, said that the panel has examined all aspects of the bridge. This bridge is safe for train operation for 100 years.
The train will run at a maximum speed of 75 km per hour on the new Pamban Bridge.
Features of the new Pamban Bridge
Fully automated vertical lift span – Compared to the old manual shear lift, the new bridge is equipped with a fully automated vertical lift system. This will make train operation much easier.
Ships will be able to pass from greater height – The old bridge used to open up to a height of 19 meters, but the new bridge has been given an air clearance of 22 meters. This will allow large ships to pass through comfortably.
Double track and electrification – The new bridge has been designed for high speed trains. It includes double track and electrified system.
Southern Railway had said – safe for 58 years
In January this year, Southern Railway shared a document saying that the robust surface protection system against corrosion can protect the lifespan of the bridge for 38 years without maintenance and 58 years with minimal maintenance.
At the same time, the old Pamban Bridge had maintained rail connectivity for 108 years. It was closed in December 2022 due to rust. It is also called ‘Cantilever Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge’. This name was named after the German engineer Scherzer. He had designed the old bridge.
Why was there a need to build a bridge
During British rule, in 1850, a plan was made to build a sea route to connect India and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). For this, there was an idea to build a canal in the Palk Strait (Sethusamudram), but this plan seemed impossible due to economic and environmental reasons.
After this the British administration prepared a new plan. Under this plan, the railway line was to be connected between Mandapam and Pamban Island of Tamil Nadu and then Dhanushkodi to Colombo by ferry (boat).
2 main reasons for building the bridge…
Rameshwaram was important religiously and commercially. A large number of people used to come here for darshan. Boats were used for this. Traveling was difficult due to strong winds and sea waves.
The British wanted better connectivity between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, so that trade with Sri Lanka could increase. For this, the British administration decided to build a railway bridge.
How was this historic Pamban bridge built?
The plan to build the old Pamban Bridge was made in 1870, but the work started in 1911. On February 24, 1914, rail service was started through this bridge. The length of this bridge was 2.06 km. It was built with special technology so that ships could pass under it.
Specialty of the old bridge
A sherger lift system was installed in this bridge, which could lift the middle part so that ships could find a way.
This was India’s first sea bridge and continued to serve the railway service for about 100 years.
Special iron was used to protect the bridge from the salty water of the sea and strong winds.
Pamban Bridge broke in the cyclone of 1964
On 23 December 1964, a cyclone at a speed of 240 km/h severely damaged the bridge. A train also overturned in it, killing 150 people. Even after this devastation, the government rebuilt it in just 46 days. The responsibility of its repair was given to E. Sreedharan.
