Indian Railways to resume trains to Rameswaram with inauguration of New Pamban Rail Bridge on 6 April 2025

Railway services to Rameswaram to resume on 06 April 2025 with a new daily express service between Tambaram (near Chennai) and Rameswaram

New Pamban Railway Bridge (on the right) with the old Pamban railway bridge (on the left). You can see that the access to the railway tracks on the old bridge has been shut down. This view is seen from the Pamban or Rameswaram island. Image shared by Ministry of Railways, @RailMinIndia on X

A new daily express service between Tambaram (near Chennai) and Rameswaram is set to begin inauguration of New Pamban Rail Bridge on 06 April 2025, in Tamil Nadu, India, bringing railway connectivity back to the Rameshwaram Island, also known as Pamban island. This service will be run Southern Railways, which is one of the zones of Indian Railways.

Advance Reservation for this new express train between Tambaram and Rameswaram was opened at morning 08:00 AM, today on 04 April 2025.

Also, as per a post by Southern Railway, after the opening of the New Pamban Bridge, other train services are also extended to Rameswaram.

The time-table for this new train between Tambaram and Rameswaram. Post shared by Southern Railway @GMSRailway on X on April 3, 2025.

As per the time table shared by Southern Railway, this new express train will between Tambaram (near Chennai) and Rameswaram, going to and fro between the following stations : Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Tiruppadiripuliyur, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Thiruthuraipoondi, Pattukottai, Aranthangi, Karaikudi, Sivaganga, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi, Ramanathapuram, and Rameswaram.

Details of the Train Services that are now extended to Rameswaram. Mail/Express and Passenger trains will now originate and terminate at Rameswaram as per the new schedule from the dates mentioned above. Post shared by Southern Railway @GMSRailway on X on April 5, 2025.

Restoration of Train Services to Rameswaram!🚆

In view of the restoration of train services to #Rameswaram the stoppage details & Platform Turnaround Time (PTT) for trains halting between Rameswaram (RMD) & Mandapam (MMM) are indicated below.

🧵Thread👇#SouthernRailway pic.twitter.com/OQhzqM74WF

— Southern Railway (@GMSRailway) April 5, 2025

Restoration of Train Services to Rameswaram!🚆

In view of the restoration of train services to #Rameswaram the stoppage details & Platform Turnaround Time (PTT) for trains halting between Rameswaram (RMD) & Mandapam (MMM) are indicated below.#SouthernRailway #NewPambanBridge pic.twitter.com/ft6RpdV5kq

— Southern Railway (@GMSRailway) April 5, 2025

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be flagging off the new Rameswaram-Tambaram train service, on the occasion of Ram Navami on 06 April 2025, where he will inaugurate the New Pamban Rail Bridge which will once again connect Rameswaram to the mainland India by rail, around two and a half years ago, when the old Pamban railway bridge was closed on December 2022.

The old Pamban Rail Bridge which was over 100 years old, had connected the mainland to Rameswaram for 108 years, but it was closed in December 2022 due to corrosion issues. There were no trains to Rameswaram since then, as the old bridge was shut down, which had caused the stopping of train services.

But now with the new Pamban Railway Bridge set to open on 06 April 2025, the train services to Rameswaram are set to begin again.

The railway bridges, both the new and the old one before it, are popularly known as Pamban Bridge as they connect the Pamban island of India with mainland India.

The Pamban island, also known as Rameswaram island, is the place where the popular and sacred Hindu pilgrimage site Rameshwaram where Shri Ramanathaswamy Temple stands. With the opening of the new bridge, this major pilgrimage and temple destination of India will once again be connected by railways.

The New Pamban Bridge, India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, is to be opened after its inauguration on April 6th, 2025.

This new railway bridge, which links Rameswaram to mainland in India, is a remarkable feat of Indian engineering that is built at a cost of over Rs 550 crore. It is 2.08 km in length, and it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, which allows smooth movement of ships.

This new bridge is built with stainless steel reinforcement, high-grade protective paint, and fully welded joints. It has better durability with reduced maintenance requirements.

While there's only a single railway track over it now, it is designed for dual railway tracks in case required in future. The Pamban Bridge is located at a highly corrosive environment, and a special polysiloxane coating is used on the new bridge to protect it from corrosion, ensuring its longevity in this harsh marine environment.

The new Pamban Bridge, which is now the only railway bridge across the sea in India, will be a new attraction to the tourists, travellers, or pilgrims to Rameswaram or Pamban island, just like the old bridge was, whether travelling by train or by the road bridge beside it. The old bridge, despite being shut down for passing trains, can be still seen standing alongside the new one.

Also See: The New Pamban Bridge, India's first vertical lift railway sea bridge - Some interesting facts and significance of this new railway bridge

References

1. Post by Southern Railway @GMSRailway on X on April 3, 2025.
2. Post by Southern Railway @GMSRailway on X on April 5, 2025.
3. On the occasion of Ram Navami, PM to visit Tamil Nadu and inaugurate New Pamban Rail Bridge connecting Rameswaram to the mainland - Prime Minister's Office, on PIB - Press Information Bureau. Posted On: 04 APR 2025 2:35PM by PIB Delhi.