Pamban Bridge: The Prime Minister inaugurated the new Pamban bridge by flagging off a train on Friday. Now four trains will run every day from Rameswaram station to Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai. Now this island will get direct trains not only from Ayodhya, Varanasi and Chennai, but also from far-flung cities like Secunderabad, Kanyakumari, Bhubaneswar, Okha and Ferozepur Cantt.
Pamban Bridge: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the historic New Pamban Bridge in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu on the special occasion of Ram Navami. New Pamban Bridge is India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, which is built over the sea. This bridge will improve sea traffic and people will also find it easier to travel. This bridge is 2.08 km long, it has 99 spans and a vertical lift span of 72.5 meters, which can rise to a height of 17 meters. Water ships can easily pass under it.
The bridge was 100 years old
There are two railway stations named Mandapam and Pamban in Tamil Nadu, which are about five kilometers away from each other. These two stations have been connected by train since the year 1914, at that time the British built the Pamban Bridge. Every day a few trains used to pass through these stations. But now the Pamban Bridge was very old. After serving for more than 100 years, the old Pamban bridge was in need of frequent repairs and maintenance. For this reason, it was decided to build a new bridge in the year 2019. But even before the new bridge was built, the old bridge was not considered fit for operation in December 2022 and was closed.
PM inaugurated
Now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the new Pamban bridge, ending the long wait. Now trains will again be able to cross the Bay of Bengal and reach the stations located on Pamban Island. After the start of train service, about 30 trains are expected to run to Rameswaram station, which will travel up and down throughout the week. The importance of Rameswaram station can also be understood from the fact that direct trains come here from distant cities like Varanasi and Ayodhya.
When the old bridge was closed, all these trains were limited to Mandapam station. Now with the new beginning, the way for trains to Rameswaram has opened again. Recently a new Rozana Express train has been started from Rameswaram to Tambaram, which completes its journey in 11 hours 30 minutes. The sleeper class of this train has already been booked for the whole week, from which the curiosity and need of the people can be gauged.
Towards a new beginning
The Prime Minister inaugurated the new Pamban bridge by flagging off a train on Friday. Now four trains will run every day from Rameswaram station to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. Now direct trains will come to this island not only from Ayodhya, Varanasi and Chennai, but also from far-flung cities like Secunderabad, Kanyakumari, Bhubaneswar, Okha and Ferozepur Cantt.
What is the specialty of the new bridge
The new Pamban bridge is 2.08 km long and it passes over the sea. A special part of this bridge is the country’s first vertical lift sea bridge. When a ship passes under this bridge, a 72.5 meter long part of the bridge can be lifted straight up, which can go up to a maximum of 17 meters. Rust-proof material has been used in the new bridge. It has also been kept in mind that the speed of trains passing through the bridge may reduce in case of strong winds, but on an average the journey between Mandapam and Rameswaram can be completed in 15 to 20 minutes.
Inspiration from London’s Tower Bridge
The design of this bridge is inspired by London’s famous Tower Bridge. 5,800 metric tonnes of stainless steel and 3.4 lakh cement bags have been used to build it. Initially the cost of the bridge was estimated to be around Rs 280 crore, but later it increased to Rs 580 crore and finally reached Rs 704 crore, which the Railways informed on Sunday.
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