On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, the Pamban Rail Bridge, in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. This engineering marvel allows trains to pass over while ships can move beneath when the bridge is lifted, making it a significant milestone in India's infrastructure journey.The new bridge replaces the old Pamban bridge and is designed with advanced technology to ensure seamless rail and maritime operations. It symbolizes a crucial link between the Pamban Island and the mainland, enhancing connectivity for both pilgrims and tourists visiting the religious town of Rameshwaram.PM Modi will also flag off the Rameshwaram–Tambaram train service, further boosting regional rail connectivity. Alongside, he will lay the foundation stone for rail and road projects worth over ₹8,300 crore, strengthening Tamil Nadu’s infrastructure.Following the inauguration, the Prime Minister will visit the sacred Ramanathaswamy Temple to offer prayers. Arrangements for his temple visit and public rally have been completed, with tight security and festive anticipation in the region.This visit reflects the government's focus on modernizing transport while honoring cultural and spiritual heritage.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Namaskar, you are watching ABP News. I am Chitra Tripathi with you.
00:11I am standing virtually at the southern tip of the country.
00:15This is the new Pamban Bridge.
00:17The eyes of the whole country are fixed on this bridge.
00:20This is the new Pamban Bridge connecting Tamil Nadu's Rameshwaram to the Mandapam.
00:26This railway track is the Come Vertical Lift C Bridge.
00:29This means that there is only one bridge on which a train will run.
00:33If there is an ocean below, ships will also pass through.
00:36This bridge is an exemplary example of engineering.
00:40For the first time in India, a bridge has been constructed which will perform a miracle in just 5 minutes.
00:46The world will see for the first time how a rail bridge can be lifted.
00:59This is an amazing view.
01:11This kind of picture is not seen anywhere in India.
01:19From the train, you can see the ocean.
01:25Now, this romance is returning in a stormy speed.
01:33The destination will be Rameshwaram.
01:38This is the place where the Indian Ocean meets the Bengal Ocean.
01:42The waves of the ocean kiss the feet of the ocean.
01:52Go Rameshwaram Dweep.
01:54One of the four dhamas of the country.
01:56It has been the center of people's faith for centuries.
01:59Lord Ram had gone from Ramsetu to climb Lanka.
02:04On the occasion of Ram Navami, a new setu or bridge is going to be inaugurated.
02:09Which will once again connect Rameshwaram to the rest of the country by train.
02:14And it will become a great example of the technology of India.
02:18New Pamban Bridge.
02:28Pamban Bridge.
02:30At first glance, it will look like other bridges.
02:33The river that forms in the sea.
02:35But this is an example of engineering.
02:38How? Now understand it.
02:40This bridge weighing lakhs of tons will go up in a few minutes by pressing just one button.
02:46Like a lift.
02:48With just one button.
02:50And then again, by pressing the button, it will connect to the vast track.
02:54On which the train will pass in a stormy speed.
02:57But how will this bridge work?
03:00It is also very interesting to see it.
03:03Pamban Bridge.
03:09Where it is difficult to stand amidst the fast winds of the sea.
03:12There is a strong steel wire cable.
03:15For the first time in the country, the bridge has been made to lift.
03:18Pamban Bridge.
03:24High power electric motor.
03:26Its entire system is explained to you easily.
03:29Pamban Bridge.
03:33This is a vertical lift bridge.
03:35That is, a bridge that can be lifted vertically when needed.
03:40And can be brought down vertically as soon as the work is over.
03:44There is a control room above the bridge.
03:46This screen inside it explains the entire mechanism.
03:51There are six towers on both sides of this bridge.
03:54On which both sides are counterweight.
03:57Counterweight means the weight used to balance the weight of the lift.
04:02Which reduces the load on the motor.
04:06Now there is a weight of 310 tons on both sides of it.
04:09Whereas the bridge is 600 tons.
04:11There are six thick ropes of steel.
04:14Which connects the bridge on one side and the counterweight on the other side.
04:18Now what happens is that the signal comes from the railway first.
04:22After that, the start button is pressed in this control room.
04:26The counterweight goes down.
04:28And this rope which pulls the bridge up.
04:31Up to about 17 meters.
04:34That is, this part of the bridge can rise up to 17 meters.
04:38And it will take only 5 minutes.
04:40So that big ships get a way to pass from below.
04:46Alert system and train stop sensors are also installed in the bridge.
04:50So that the train can be stopped before the bridge in any dangerous situation.
04:54And when the train will pass through the bridge, it will become a storm.
04:58Because till now, the train used to pass through the old bridge at slow speed.
05:02That picture will now change completely.
05:06You are going to see some such pictures.
05:08A fast train will pass through this bridge.
05:11Earlier, the train used to travel at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometers per hour while passing through the Pamban Bridge.
05:18But now, the train is going to pass through the Pamban Bridge at a speed of 75 to 80 kilometers per hour.
05:26And because of this, it used to take 20 to 25 minutes to cover the distance of the first 2 kilometers.
05:32Now, that distance will be completed in just 5 minutes.
05:36And from any corner of the country, Rameshwaram Deep can be easily reached by train.
05:42This new bridge is made exactly like the old Pamban Bridge.
05:48Special coating technology has been used to protect it from the water and moisture of the sea.
05:55Due to which, no maintenance will be required for the next 40 years.
05:59IIT Chennai and IIT Bombay experts have jointly designed this bridge.
06:05But the old bridge also has its heritage with it.
06:10Right now, I am standing on the same old Pamban Bridge, which was built 110 years ago in 1914.
06:18This catalytic lever bridge, built in the British era, used to open from both sides.
06:23It had to be opened manually.
06:2560 years ago, while crossing this bridge, the Pamban Dhanushkoti passenger train sank into the sea due to a storm.
06:34This old bridge was restarted after the repair, but now it is so damaged that the train cannot pass from there.
06:43This is the reason why the work to build a new bridge was started right in front of the old Pamban Bridge.
06:496 years ago, in November 2019, Prime Minister Modi had laid the foundation for it.
06:55The old bridge was closed in 2022 after 108 years of construction.
07:01Construction started in February 2020, and in just 5 years, the Modi government completed this bridge.
07:09The old bridge was completed in 29 years in the British era.
07:14This bridge has been designed to withstand severe sea conditions and strong storms.
07:20If the storm is more than 58 km per hour, then the train will be stopped from coming and going.
07:27The reason for doing this is 60 years old.
07:33In 1964, the storm was of 300 km per hour, in which the entire train sank into the sea.
07:46This incident had shocked the entire country.
07:49With the help of Metroman E Sridharan, his team rebuilt the Pamban Bridge, and it was restarted in just 46 days.
08:02In the 20th century, there was only one way to reach Rameshwaram.
08:11After that, this Pamban Bridge connecting Mandapam to Rameshwar Dweep was built, through which people traveled to Dhanushkodi.
08:26This was the only way to reach Rameshwaram until 1988.
08:30After that, this bridge was built to go by road.
08:34Even then, the feeling of the sea inside the train kept exciting people.
08:39Every year, more than 2.5 million devotees reach Rameshwaram Dweep.
08:43This new bridge is going to give a lot of relief from the easy journey.
08:47And this bridge has also become a historical monument in the fundamental structure of the country.
08:59After America, UK, France, Russia, and Germany, India has built a vertical lift bridge through this advanced technology.
09:08This will not only increase the convenience of people, but also increase the number of tourists.
09:17Because the old bridge was closed, people had to go to Mandapam by train and then by road.
09:24It took up to an hour to reach Mandapam.
09:27Now the time will be saved.
09:29This journey will also be full of excitement for the lakhs of tourists going to Rameshwaram.
09:34Along with this, this bridge will also play an important role in increasing business.