India's first rail lift bridge is an engineering marvel that derailed 'sea monsters'

After more than two years of wait, train services are set to resume on Pamban-Rameswaram section, with a new vertical lift bridge at Pamban replacing the iconic but old structure that had long connected Rameswaram Island to the Indian mainland.

- ANBUSELVAN @Rameswaram

Spanning the Palk Strait in the Bay of Bengal, this new 2.08 m bridge is not only a critical transportation link but also considered an engineering feat of sorts.

Its unique feature lies in the 2.5-metre-long navigational span, which weighs a staggering 660 metric tonnes (MT). Using a theoretically simple technology, a counterweight system - to suspend 620 of the 660 MT above the sea, the bridge reduces its reliance on powerful electric motors which are now used to elevate only the remaining 40 MT.

The bridge has been cleared by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) after addressing concerns. In response to CRS observations regarding procedural lapses such as delays in obtaining approvals and measures to prevent corrosion, the Ministry of Railways issued a detailed explanation and made corrections, clearing the way for the resumption of train services to Rameswaram.