India’s first vertical lift Railway Bridge in Rameswaram set to open soon | All you need to know

India’s first vertical lift Railway Bridge: Construction of the upcoming Pamban railway bridge, India's first vertical-lift bridge connecting the country's mainland with Rameswaram island, is in full swing. A sharp curve in the upcoming Pamban railway bridge, India's first vertical-lift bridge connecting the country's mainland with Rameswaram island, had become an additional challenge for the Railways besides its mechanical peculiarity and a rough sea a few months back. The movement of lift span to its final fixing point shall be completed by the end of May, as it still has to be carried a few meters more.

The train services between Mandapam in the mainland and Rameswaram island were suspended on December 23, 2022 after the existing rail bridge, which was built in 1913, was declared non-operational from the safety point of view. It was supposed to be completed by December 2021, however, the deadline was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All you need to know about the bridge

• The new bridge is constructed parallel to the old Pamban Bridge 
• It spans a length of 2.07 km (1.29 mi)
• It includes a 72 m (236 ft) vertical lifting section. 
• It is the first vertical lift sea bridge in India
• It will allow larger boats to pass underneath.

According to the Southern Railway, the 2.08-km-long bridge will allow the Indian Railways to operate trains at a higher speed and it will also increase traffic between the mainland of India and Rameswaram island. Till a road bridge was constructed in 1988, train services were the only link connecting Mandapam to Rameswaram island situated in the Gulf of Mannar. According to the Southern Railway, the substructure of the bridge has been built for the double lines and the navigational span will also have provision for double lines.