The Pamban railway bridge, India's inaugural vertical-lift bridge linking the mainland with Rameswaram Island, is on the brink of operational readiness Railway Board chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha announced. Varma, after a recent visit to Rameswaram to assess the project's advancement said that the reconstruction progress is proceeding smoothly. The Railway Board chairperson and CEO said that her team had demonstrated remarkable dedication amidst numerous obstacles encountered during the bridge reconstruction and that erecting a vertical-lift bridge, the first of its kind in the nation, over turbulent seas presents significant challenges. The new Pamban bridge, India's first vertical lift railway bridge over the sea, is a breathtaking marvel. Serving as a link between Rameswaram on Pamban Island and Mandapam on the mainland, it is being constructed parallel to the old Pamban bridge by Rail Vikas Nigam at an estimated cost of `5.35 billion.