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Feb 2005
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No new bridge to Rameswaram  

The Padman bridge connecting Rameshwaram island with Tamil Nadu coast.

     Chennai: The Railway Ministry says it has no plans to construct a new railway bridge (broad gauge) on the sea connecting the Rameshwaram island with the mainland. R.Velu, Union minister of state for Railways, said the Railway Board had appointed foreign and Indian consultants for the Pamban bridge between Mandapam and Rameswaram providing a broad gauge link to the pilgrim town. Finance seems to be a major problem with the Ministry. "We have to assess the entire project because it is not an easy task because the amount involved is huge, its enormous", said Union Minister of State for Railways, R Velu. "First is the heritage bridge and second is themoney involved is also huge," asserted the Minister.

      While there is no difficulty in completing the work between Madurai and Pamban, the major hitch is the conversion of the existing metre gauge line on the bridge, which alone will cost about 800 crore rupees. The bridge is part of the on-going gauge conversion project between Madurai and Rameswaram. Now the government has decided that the broad gauge line would be terminated at Mandapam and the shuttle services would be operated between Pamban and Rameswaram for pilgrims' convenience. The total length of the bridge is 2057 metres. It took three years and four months (from August 1910 to December 1913) to construct the Pamban bridge.However the rail traffic commenced in February 1914 only.
- Feb 15, 2005

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