Indian Railways is set to open the new Pamban railway bridge in December. The new Pamban Bridge, will run alongside the old one and features India’s first-ever vertical lift bridge over the sea. Unlike the current bridge, which is a single line link, the new Pamban bridge will feature two sets of tracks and will feature electrification, bringing electric loco hauled trains to Rameswaram for the very first time. The new bridge which costs Rs 250 crores will allow for trains to travel at speeds of up to Rs 80km/h. With the opening of the new bridge, freight trains will be able to cross the Palk Strait for the very first time.
The new bridge over the Palk Strait will rise 3-metres higher than the current bridge which skims the sea. The new bridge sports 100 spans that measure 18.3-metres long while the new lifting bridge sections measures 75 metres long.
