INTRODUCTION

The Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge on the Palk Strait which connects the town
of Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India. The bridge refers to both the road
bridge and the cantilever railway bridge, though primarily it means the latter. Opened on 24
February 1914, it was India's first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge in India until the
opening of the Bandra-Worli Sea Linkin 2010. The rail bridge is, for the most part, a
conventional bridge resting on concrete piers, but has a double leaf bascule section midway,
which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through.
The railway bridge is 6,776ft (2,065m) and was opened to traffic in 1914. The railroad
bridge is a still-functioning double-leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass
under it. Until recently, workers opened the two leaves of the bridge manually using levers.
About 10 ships cargo carriers, coast guard ships, fishing vessels and oil tankers pass under
the bridge every month. According to Dr Narayanan, the bridge is located at the worlds second
highly corrosive environment, next to Miami, the US, making the construction challenging. The
location is also cyclone-prone and a high wind velocity zone. The 90-year-old railway bridge,
one of the countrys architectural marvels that carried meter-gauge trains over the Palk Strait was
pulled down and replaced with a new broad gauge bridge. This replacement project was
completed on 12 Aug. 2007. The new bridge is also a bascule bridge, which can open up in
the middle, in order to allow ships to pass through. The replacement was for two reasons. First,
the bridge had outlived its lifespan of about 60 years. Second, the Railways were converting all
the (British built) meter gauge tracks to broad gauge. The Pamban Bridge is a part of the
Madurai-Rameshwaran gauge conversion project in Tamil Nadu. "The bridge is superior in
construction and compared to similar structures abroad (of similar vintage)," said Dr G.
Narayanan, Chief Engineer, Construction, Southern Railway. In 1963, a huge tidal wave washed
away parts of Pamban Bridge that connected Rameshwaram to mainland Tamil Nadu. The
Railway set a target of six months for the bridge to be repaired while Sreedharans boss, under
whose jurisdiction the bridge came about, reduced it to three months. Sreedharan was put incharge of the execution and he restored the bridge in just 46 days.

History Of Pamban Railway Bridge

The railway bridge is 6,776 ft (2,065 m) long. It was opened on 24 February 1914,
construction having begun in 1911. However, plans for a bridge had been suggested from as
early as 1870 as the British Administration sought ways to increase trade with Ceylon. The
bridge has a still-functioning double-leaf bascule section that can be raised to let ships pass.
The adjacent road bridge was opened in 1988.
The railway bridge historically carried metre gauge trains, but Indian
Railways upgraded the bridge to carry broad gauge trains as part of Project, work that was
completed on 12 August 2007. Until recently, the two leaves of the bridge were opened
manually using levers by workers. Around 10 ships cargo carriers, coast guard ships,
fishing vessels and oil tankers pass through the bridge every month. More work was
carried out on the bridge in 2009 to strengthen it to enable it to carry goods trains.

After completion of the bridge, metre-gauge lines were laid from Mandapam up to
Pamban station. From here the railway line bifurcated, one line towards Rameshwaram about
6.25 miles (10.06 km) up and another branch line of 15 miles (24 km) terminating
at Dhanushkodi. The section was opened to traffic in 1914. The Ministry of Indian Railways
sanctioned Rs. 25 crore to replace the existing 65.23-meter- long rolling type span, which

opened like a pair of scissors to allow the vessels to pass the bridge with 66-meter-long single
truss span which could be opened with the press of the button.
The noted Boat Mail ran on this track between 1915 and 1964 from Madras-Egmore
up to Dhanushkodi, from where the passengers were ferried to Talaimannar in Ceylon. The
metre-gauge branch line from Pamban Junction to Dhanushkodi was abandoned after it was
destroyed by the 1964 Dhanushkodi cyclone.
The bridge was subsequently restored to working conditions under Elattuvalapil
Sreedharan in just 46 days. On 13 January 2013 the bridge suffered minor damage when a
naval barge drifted into it. The tug towing a naval barge
from Kolkata to Karwar near Mumbai ran aground hitting rocks on 10 January during bad
weather. The 220 tone barge then drifted into the bridge causing part of it to tilt slightly and
requiring repair work to the piers. In 2013 it was reported that Indian Railways had applied
to UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) for the bridge to
be made a world heritage site.

DETAILS OF PAMBAN RAILWAY BRIDGE

Pamban railway bridge was the first Indian bridge which is built across the sea. It is
generally referred as The queen of Indian bridges .After feasibility study, a proposal on IndoCeylon project was sent to the British Parliament for building a rail bridge from Mandapam
to Pamban and from Danushkodi to Thalaimannar at an estimated cost of Rs. 299 lakh. The
British Parliament rejected the project, stating that the cost of the project was too high. It,
however, gave its nod for the Pamban rail bridge at a cost Rs 70 lakh in 1870's Soon the
excavation work began and the South Indian Railway commenced the bridge construction in
1911 and it was completed in February 24,1914. The labors for the construction of bridge
were brought from the Kutch region in Gujarat (They had experience in the construction of
railway bridge in Himalaya region, hence British government used them).
The center part of the bridge has a double leaf cantilever bascule (each of this leaf
weighs 100 tons) , this part is designed by a German engineer named Scherzer, This span is
called as Scherzer's Span .
The railway bridge is 2,065 meters. Bridge was opened for traffic in 1914. Bridge
contains vertical lift section. It carries meter gauge trains on it, however, recently the Indian
Railways are in the process of upgrade it to carry broad gauge trains. Structural Engineering
Research Centre, Chennai - a premier national research laboratory in India, is handling this
task.
The Name Pamban Bridge commonly Refers to the Road Bridge and the Rail Bridge
which connects Rameswaram island with the main Land of India. The Name Pamban bridge
however the common name , it basically refers to the Railway bridge which built by 1914.

Length 2.06 KM

Number Of piers 143

Structural Design Cantilever, bascule Bridge
Railway track Broad Gauge
Crosses Palk Strait
Connecting Railway stations Mandapam Pamban
Year of opening - 1914

Designed by : German engineer Scherzer.

Project commenced by : East India company of British Government
Date of Completion : Feb 24, 1914
workers from : Gujarat

FACTORS LED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF

PAMBAN BRIDGE
The most important reason for the construction of Pamban Railway Bridge was to enlarge
trade activities and thus acquire more profit from it. For the smooth administration the British had
a strong desire to link the Rameswaram with the main land. The British wanted to bring provinces,
towns, districts and villages under a single political administrative system and it led to the speedy
construction of Pamban Railway Bridge.
The British wanted to reduce the travelling distance of its both colonies, India and Srilanka.
The British also wanted to avoid the risk and delay in cotton trade. The soil of Rameswaram is very
suitable for the cultivation of cotton. Tondi and Devapatnam of Ramanathapuram were the chief
centres of cotton. The export of agricultural products and the expansion of tourism in
Ramanathapuram district also induced the British to construct the bridge.

CONSTRUCTION OF PAMBAN RAILWAY BRIDGE

The Pamban Railway Bridge is the longest and oldest railway bridge in India. Though the
bridge was constructed at a time when technology was not advanced, it stands out as a fine example of
construction. The Pamban Railway Bridge is also called as Cantilever Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge. It
was named after the German engineer Scherzer, who built the Pamban viaduct.
Of all the work on the Indo Ceylon connection, the most important was the spanning of the
Pamban Pass. From Mandapam the extension follows for about 2 miles to its end at Toniturai
point and then across the sea on a viaduct about 1 miles long, constructed on the sand stone reef
connecting the mainland with the island of Rameswaram. The viaduct is 6776 feet long and
consists of 145 openings. Out of 145 openings 143 of 40 feet span, one 43 feet span and another
one was 44 feet span. 113 spans are on the West side of Pamban channel and 32 spans on the East
side. East side is spanned with two leaf Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge. This bridge is 289 feet long.
The bridge was designed by Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company of Chicago. The bridge was
constructed by Head, Wringtson & co, Ltd of Thornaby-on-tees. The Pamban railway bridge is
considered an engineering marvel and it was built within two years. Six hundred workers were
involved in the construction of this bridge.
The honour of the building of Pamban Bridge, the only one of its kind in the whole world
goes to South Indian Railway, one of the predecessors of the present Southern Railway.
The stone and concrete metals used for the bridge were brought by rail from a quarry
which was situated 270 km away from Pamban. Sand came from a site 100 km away. 4,000 tons
of cement, 1,36,000 cubic feet of clay, 18000 cubic feet of crushed metal, 163000 cubic feet of
sand and 80,000 cubic feet of boulders were used to construct the Pamban Railway bridge.

METHODS OF OPERATING THE RAILWAY BRIDGE.

The lifting of the Pamban Railway Bridge was done by means of winches on each side of the
lifting span. The winch is normally locked by means of mechanical lever in the operation cabin. The
lever is controlled electrically by another lever called the King lever which has three positions
normal, middle and reverse.
The authority of the passage of vessels is vested in the hands of the port officer of Pamban.
The Port officer will contact the Bridge operator through telephone communication. The Bridge
operator, on receipt of information, communicates with the Pamban and Mandapam station
masters. The station masters at either end accord permission if there are no trains to pass. On
receipt of permission the bridge operator brings the king lever to the mid position. The station
master gives a prolonged beat on their respective block instrument. The mid position of the king
lever cuts off the block line and communications on either side polarized in the cabin. The
polarized relay circuit is closed by the prolonged beat, which is necessary to give time for the
operator to move the king liver from mid to reverse position by deflecting the needle to the right.
The local contact in the relay close the lock circuit which, when energized releases the king liver,
so that it can be brought to the reverse position, thus disconnecting the lock circuit. The position of
the king lever releases the mechanical lever which in turn releases the winch lock thus enabling
the bridge leaves to be lifted up. Normally six persons are needed on either side to manually
operate and lift them for ships to pass. The navigation span needs to be lifted 4 times a month.

PAMBAN BRIDGE: SIX FACTS YOU PROBABLY

DONT KNOW
The Pamban Bridge, later renamed Indira Gandhi Bridge, is one of only five sea
bridges in India. It connects Rameswaram town on Pamban Island to mainland India over the
Palk Strait. A marvel of architecture and engineering to this day, here are some interesting
facts about the Pamban Bridge that you might not have heard before

1. THE LONGEST SEA-BRIDGE FOR ALMOST A

CENTURY
With construction beginning in 1911, the Pamban Bridge was opened for service in
February 1914; it was Indias first sea bridge. Although other sea bridges were eventually
built, the Pamban Bridge remained, with a total length of 2.3 KMs, the countrys longest one
until the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, later renamed to Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, was built over
Mahim bay with a total length of 5.6 KMs in 2010.

2. THE ONLY LINK TO MAINLAND INDIA UNTIL

1988
The Pamban Bridge is designed for rail traffic exclusively. Until the completion of the
construction of the adjacent road bridge in 1988, it remained the sole link between the Pamban
Island and the rest of mainland India.

3. INDIAS FIRST CANTILEVER BRIDGE

The Pamban Bridge has a double-leaf bascule section, that can be raised to let tall
ships pass, that is still functional even though it was constructed a century ago. The section
was implemented so that the then established ferry service would not be disrupted by erection
of piers. On average, 10 to 15 boats and ships still make use of this cantilever facility every
month.

4. IT WITHSTOOD A CYCLONE
A severe cyclonic storm tested the limits of the bridges strength in December 1964.
Although many of the metal structures, girders and concrete elements were washed away, as
well as damage to two of the supporting piers, the rolling lift centre span, designed by the
German engineer Scherzer, in 1913 stayed strong. A true testament to quality engineering that
stood tall against Natures fury. The bridge was repaired and reopened for service in 46 days.

5. ALMOST DECLARED OBSOLETE

Since the Pamban Bridge had metre gauge rails, it was decided to close down the
bridge in 2006 upon the start of Project Unigauge, the concerted effort by the Indian Railways
to convert most operational tracks to the broad gauge standard. Plans for a new bridge were
scrapped citing massive costs. Under direction from then President A P J Abdul Kalam, who
hailed from Rameswaram, the Pamban Bridge was strengthened and converted to broad gauge
rail. Services resumed in 2007.

6. SURPRISING STRENGTH
The Pamban Bridge is located at an area of immense corrosive
potential, second only to the Gulf of Mexico in the world. Even so, it has
stayed strong throughout the years, with over a century of continuous
service. In 2013, a 220 ton barge crashed into the bridge when its tugboat
ran aground, causing the piers to tilt. Damages were only minor and it was
soon repaired.