CHENNAI: The Southern Railway Madurai Divisional Manager Sharad Srivastava has announced that the commencement date for traffic on the new Pamban Bridge has not yet been determined.

Addressing the media, he said, there are plans to safely remove the old bridge and relocate it as a monument elsewhere.

Rail traffic on the new bridge is expected to start soon, trains will continue to run as usual to Rameswaram until the new bridge is officially commissioned.

Construction of additional facilities, including platforms and buildings at Rameswaram railway station, is also progressing.

The new railway bridge, spanning the Pamban sea and costing Rs 545 crore, is nearing completion.

Construction includes a nearly 2 km bridge with a vertical drawbridge in the center, and the installation of the necessary devices for its operation is underway.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the new rail bridge next month (October).