PM Modi inaugurates new Pamban rail bridge in Rameswaram

Prime Minister Modi inaugurates Pamban rail bridge connecting Rameswaram and Ramanathapuram, hailing it as an engineering marvel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (April 6, 2025) inaugurated the new Pamban rail bridge, which connects Rameswaram Island off the Tamil Nadu coast, with Ramanathapuram in the mainland.

Constructed by the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited at a cost of ₹531 crore, the 2.07-km bridge over the Palk Strait features a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that can be raised to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth ship movement underneath while improving rail connectivity.

Also read: PM Modi in Tamil Nadu: Pamban Bridge inauguration highlights

The Prime Minister described the new bridge, which is India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, as an “engineering wonder” that “brought together technology and tradition”. With the completion of the bridge, a long-pending demand of the people had been fulfilled, he said. “The Pamban rail bridge will support both ease of business and ease of travel. It will have positive effects on the lives of lakhs of people,” he said.

The new structure, which has replaced the now defunct British-era old Pamban rail bridge, is expected to enhance connectivity between Rameswaram and the mainland, while benefiting trade and tourism in Tamil Nadu.

With the Palk Strait being a highly corrosive environment, the bridge has been constructed with stainless steel reinforcement and features high-grade protective paint, the government said. The new bridge is also three meters higher than the existing one.

Stating that the economy of the country had doubled in the past 10 years, he credited the faster growth to the availability of modern infrastructure. “We have increased investment in development of rail connectivity, roads, ports, airports, electricity and piped water supply, and gas supply by around six times,” Mr. Modi said.