Fri Jan 31 14:22:43 UTC 2025: **New Pamban Rail Bridge Ready for Commissioning After Successful Trial Run**

MADURAI, INDIA – January 31, 2025 – The new Pamban Rail Bridge is nearing completion, following a successful trial run on Friday. A dry run involving the lifting of the center spans of both the old and new bridges allowed the passage of an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessel through the Pamban Channel.

Senior railway officials oversaw the operation, which involved raising the Scherzer span of the old bridge and the vertical lift span of the new bridge. The process was completed smoothly, according to Divisional Railway Manager Sharad Srivastava. He confirmed that all technical works mandated by the Commissioner of Railway Safety have been finished, and the final report is forthcoming.

Train operations between Mandapam and Rameswaram, suspended since January 2023 due to concerns about the old bridge’s stability, are expected to resume shortly. Coach maintenance, previously shifted to Madurai, has resumed in Rameswaram. Engineers from Rail Vikas Nigam Limited will remain for several weeks to provide technical support during the initial operational phase. The Kanniyakumari-Rameswaram tri-weekly express ran a trial on the new bridge earlier in the day.

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