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A Brief Train Ride Across the Pamban Railway Bridge

An enthralling train journey on the Oldest Rail Bridge - Pamban Railway Bridge in India

The century-old Pamban Railway Bridge in Tamil Nadu, India, is a piece of history and a railway bridge that connects the historical town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island to the mainland. With excitement and trepidation, I looked forward to the short ride on the Pamban Railway Bridge on a slow-moving train with a sea breeze over my face and the musical sound of train wheels chugging on iron.

Train Journeys in India

Travelling on one of the 13,000 daily trains (from Toy trains to Luxury to Passenger trains), an exciting activity that carries India’s 1.42 billion people from one location to another, is always an adventure in itself. From booking a reservation to reaching the railway station on time, haggling with coolies to ferry your luggage to the train compartment, and finally occupying your reserved seat is like winning a long-fought battle. I was finally on board in my reserved seat. One of my favourite parts of a train journey is when the train crosses a rail bridge over a river. I am obsessed with the sounds created when the train wheels chug on the bridge tracks between the fleeing pillars. The Pamban Railway Bridge crosses the Palk Strait, a narrow body of water that separates the southeastern coast of India from the northern coast of Sri Lanka. Having watched a few YouTube videos of this crossing by train, I wanted to savour every second of this brief ride over the undulating waters.

An Engineering Marvel

Before I share the details of my short, adventurous journey, let me share a few details about the Pamban Bridge itself. The Pamban Bridge, known as the Queen of Indian Bridges, is a 109-year-old railway bridge in Tamil Nadu. The Pamban Bridge's length is 2.06 kilometres, and it connects Mandapam town with the pilgrimage town Rameshwaram on Pamban Island. As one of the most amazing train routes in the world, it has recently been nominated for UNESCO’s heritage status. Pamban Bridge was built to enable trade with Ceylon (Sri Lanka) by the -British Administration and was opened on 24 February 1914. This arch-shaped cantilever bridge built on artificial sandstone stands on 143 concrete piers and has a double-leaf bascule section. This middle section, known as the Scherzer span, was designed by Scherzer, a German engineer at Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company of Chicago. It is a moveable bridge that keeps a span balanced during its upward swing to allow ships, cargo carriers, fishing vessels, and oil tankers to sail through.

Pamban Bridge, India’s first and longest sea bridge (until 2010 when Bandra-Worli Sea Link was opened), is an engineering marvel on the Palk Strait. Today there are two bridges, one the road bridge and the cantilever railway bridge. The name primarily refers to the railway bridge, and the Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge runs parallel to the railway bridge and was constructed in 1988.  The rail bridge has been upgraded to carry broad gauge trains in 2007. However, it is considered to be the most dangerous sea bridge in India because of its location in a corrosive marine environment and a cyclone-prone, high-wind-velocity zone.

Crossing the Pamban Bridge

I felt the waves of anticipation as the train entered Pamban Bridge. I noticed the train slowing down. The train's speed on the bridge was reduced to around 15km/hr as a precautionary measure, and the journey lasted for 12-13 minutes. These were a few priceless minutes spent on an iconic railway bridge with a view of the surrounding islands and blue seascapes and the Kunthukal Vivekananda memorial on Pamban Island. This human-made wonder which almost touches the waters of the Indian Ocean, just 12.5 metres above sea level, was the most memorable train journey. I tried to capture these priceless memories in the recesses of my mind and on my smartphone as a backup. Smartphone pictures were a poor substitute for what the eyes captured. Crossing the Pamban Bridge was a daring experience as the train shook when the high-speed winds and huge sea waves hit the old and rusted iron pillars of the bridge. With great difficulty, I kept my foothold on the train as I stood by the door.   

The road bridge runs parallel to the rail bridge. I took a road trip in the evening to get an uninterrupted view of the dancing sea waves against the bridge when a train crossed the rail bridge. The blue sky started changing colours – lavender with bursts of gold and then finally melting into saffron. The entire frame looked like a canvas - freshly painted by an artist. Again, I captured these memories in my heart and mind, and some with my smartphone.

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