India's first vertical-lift sea bridge—the new Pamban Bridge inaugurated

New Bridge Pamban Opens, All 14 Trains Resume Service to Rameswaram Station.

In a historic development, all 14 pairs of long-distance trains have resumed operations to Rameswaram station, following the inauguration of India's first vertical-lift sea bridge—the new Pamban Bridge. The state-of-the-art structure reconnects Rameswaram Island with the mainland of Tamil Nadu, ending a two-year hiatus in direct rail services beyond Mandapam.

The Southern Railway confirmed that directives were issued to all departments on April 4, enabling passengers to now book tickets directly to Rameswaram. Along with the inauguration of the new 2.08-km bridge, the Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) Express was also flagged off, which will be the 15th pair of trains to pass the iconic Pamban Bridge.

This new service includes stops at Tiruvarur, Thiruthuraipoondi, Pattukottai, and Aranthangi—stations not previously connected by direct trains to the island.

Built at a cost of over ₹700 crore, the bridge boasts 100 spans, including a 72.5-meter vertical lift span that can be raised to 17 meters to allow maritime traffic. The bridge replaces the century-old Scherzer span bridge, which was decommissioned in 2022 due to structural deterioration.

Currently, six daily trains operate to Rameswaram, including two from Chennai Egmore, three from Madurai, and one from Tiruchirappalli. The rest include triweekly and weekly services from major cities such as Ayodhya, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Okha, and Varanasi.

Meanwhile, the Rameswaram station is transforming the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with new terminals and infrastructure aimed at turning it into a modern city hub.