Around 61 years back, if one has travel from Madras to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, then The had to board the Indo-Ceylon Express from Egmore station in Madras (now Chennai) then ride through the eastern coastal plains, cross the Pamban Bridge into Rameshwaram and reach to Dhanushkodi which was the last Indian station.
Then they had to sail across the Palk Strait to Talaimannar and catch a train straight to Colombo.
An Aged Old Dream Comes True With The Revival Of The Pamban Bridge
But, all this changed in 1964 that is the year when the Rameswaram cyclone ravaged coastal Tamil Nadu.
Further, it destroyed the 110-year-old Pamban Rail Bridge which is also the Pamban island’s only link to mainland India.
This cyclone not only destroyed the Pamban Rail Bridge but also destroyed the railway line connecting Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi which is just 24 kilometres west of Sri Lanka’s Talaimannar.
Due to this disaster, trains have been terminating at Rameshwaram, instead of Dhanushkodi since 1964.
But now all this will change as after almost 60 years, a few kilometres away, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly constructed Pamban Bridge on April 6.
Indian Becoming A Pro In Developing A Critical and Mega Infrastructure
This newly constructed bridge is replacing the 110-year-old structure and reviving a dream.
Moving ahead, this would offer a seamless rail connectivity to Rameshwaram further offering an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a direct India–Sri Lanka rail link.
This would simply be bridging the gap between Rameshwaram and Sri Lanka’s Talaimannar in Mannar Island.
This plan included another bridge or tunnel parallel to the Adam’s Bridge, also called the Rama Setu.
In a closure look, the 1964 cyclone didn’t just disrupt connectivity between India and Sri Lanka, but it also dealt a blow to a grander vision of a seamless rail link between the two nations and beyond.
This was first time envisioned by the British, later proposed by a few multilateral forums, and now, reportedly, a subject of some discussion and buzz.
Apart from ferries, the 110-year-old bridge was the only connection to Rameshwaram from its commissioning in 1914 until 1988, when a parallel road bridge was constructed.
In the cyclone’s aftermath, the focus shifted to restoring the damaged Pamban Bridge and other infrastructure, and the idea of a seamless cross-country link slipped onto the back burner.
The success of the new Pamban Bridge holds a great significance as it would also prove that India can develop critical and mega infrastructure that are cyclone-resistant.
When it comes to connecting to a different country, Sri Lanka is the only neighbour with which India doesn’t have a rail link.
As we already know that Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal are all linked by rail to India.
After this, the next assignment could be an India-Bhutan rail link.
