Much-awaited Chennai-Rameswaram Vande Bharat roll out likely by September-October

CHENNAI: The Southern Railway is planning to introduce the long-awaited Chennai–Rameswaram Vande Bharat Express and additional long-distance train services as the redeveloped Rameswaram railway station nears completion.

Efforts are under way to revive discussions with the Tamil Nadu government on the Dhanushkodi rail link destroyed in the 1964 cyclone.

The Southern Railway General Manager RN Singh, who inspected the ongoing station redevelopment works at Rameswaram on Thursday, said only about 4-5 per cent of work is pending and the station is expected to be commissioned by the end of September, an event the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely attend.

The Chennai–Rameswaram Vande Bharat service is likely to be introduced in September or October, he confirmed, adding that the final route is yet to be decided. The Southern Railway is also planning to introduce more long-distance trains to Rameswaram, he noted.

The redeveloped station, he added, has been equipped with additional platforms, pit lines and other infrastructure to handle a higher number of trains in the future.

The Southern Railway also plans to revive talks with the Tamil Nadu government on the long-pending Dhanushkodi rail link, seeking environmental clearance for the project. The project was stalled as the state government had earlier withheld clearance over ecological concerns, and it remains to be seen whether that stance has shifted.

On the fate of the century-old Pamban rail bridge, the general manager said the structure had deteriorated significantly and was no longer safe to retain.

There have been demands to preserve it as a heritage monument with public access, but the Railways cannot risk keeping the rusted structure standing, he highlighted. Instead, the Railways is considering installing a smaller replica of the historic bridge near Ramanathapuram after dismantling the original, he added.

In addition, RN Singh, along with Shri Balak Ram Negi, DRM/Tiruchy, and branch officers, inspected passenger amenities at Tiruvarur Junction and reviewed the progress of redevelopment works at Thanjavur Junction.