India's first vertical lift rail bridge, the new Pamban rail bridge, is set to be commissioned soon. The bridge is unique and will allow trains to travel faster, with an inspection scheduled for November 13-14, 2024, by A M Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety for Southern Circle.

The new bridge is inspired by designs from Germany and Spain. It will allow trains to run at speeds of up to 80 kmph, much faster than the old bridge, where the speed was limited to 10 kmph. The new bridge also offers a 17-meter high clearance, allowing larger ships to pass through.

The design and construction of the bridge were done with the help of Spanish companies. The old bridge had a corroded Scherzer span, which restricted train speeds and caused safety issues. The old bridge also automatically stopped traffic when wind speeds crossed 50 kmph.

Initially, the railways planned to replace only the span of the old bridge, but officials decided to build a new bridge since the old one required traffic suspension for several months.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the new bridge in November 2019. However, the old bridge was permanently closed in December 2022 after safety sensors triggered a red alert. Since then, Rameshwaram has been disconnected from the Railway map.