New Pamban Bridge

About New Pamban Bridge

• It is India’s first vertical-lift railway sea bridge.
• It connects Rameswaram on Pamban Island to Mandapam on the mainland in Tamil Nadu.
• Bridge Length:
  • The total length of the bridge is 2.078 km.
  • It will have 99 spans with 18.3-meter-long girders. The navigational span will be 63 meters.
• It will replace the iconic Pamban Bridge, India's first sea bridge, which opened in 1914.
• The new bridge is being built parallel to the old Pamban Bridge by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.
• Features:
  • The most unique feature of the new Pamban Bridge is its vertical lift facility. It will help boats pass under the bridge smoothly.
  • While the old bridge has the 'Scherzer' rolling lift technology, in which the bridge opens up horizontally to let ships pass through, the new bridge will lift vertically upwards, remaining parallel to the deck. It will be done using sensors at each end.
  • The vertical lift span will have electromechanical control interlocked with the train control system.
  • To allow for shipping traffic to pass under the vertical lift section of the bridge, rail traffic would be stopped. The navigational span would move up vertically to create enough height for boats to pass. 
  • It will allow a full horizontal length of 72.5 metres for navigation.
  • While the new Pamban Bridge is 3 meters higher than the old bridge, it also has a navigational air clearance of 22 metres above mean sea level.
  • It has been designed for double railway line and future electrification as well.

Q1) What is the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL)?

RVNL was incorporated as an 100% owned PSU of Ministry of Railways (MoR) on 24-1-2003 with the twin objectives of raising extra-budgetary resources and implementation of projects relating to creation and augmentation of capacity of rail infrastructure on fast track basis. RVNL became fully functional by March 2005.

Source: Pamban bridge: India’s first vertical lift Indian Railways bridge nears completion; check photos & top 10 facts