New Pamban Bridge
India's first vertical-lift railway sea bridge, replacing the 1914 Scherzer rolling-lift bridge.
Project at a glance
| Location | Palk Strait, between mainland Tamil Nadu and Rameswaram island |
|---|---|
| Owner / agency | Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (Ministry of Railways) |
| Completed / opened | 2025 |
| Sector | Bridges |
| Lift height | Movable span lifts up to 17 m for ships |
| Track | Built ready for a second track |
Construction technology used
- Vertical-lift span raised by cables and counterweights hung from two towers.
- Marine corrosion protection: metallised (thermal-sprayed) base coat with a polysiloxane finish.
Design and construction challenges
- A harsh marine environment with strong corrosion.
Key facts
- India's first vertical-lift railway sea bridge.
- Design service life of about 100 years.
- Opened in April 2025.
Learn the engineering behind it
- Steel bridges · Steel Design
- Cold formed and stainless steel · Steel Design
- Durability · Concrete Technology
- Mechanised tunnelling and bridge launching · Construction Methods and Equipment
Watch on YouTube
Sources
Facts on this page are taken only from official or authoritative sources (owner agencies, government releases, designers and contractors) and written in our own words. A figure is shown only when we could confirm it from at least two of the sources below; anything we could not confirm is left out. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Author: Indiacon. Last reviewed 24 Oct 2026. Educational summary; not an official project document.