Chennai
oi-Prakash KL
With the redeveloped Rameswaram railway station almost ready, the Southern Railway is planning to introduce the Chennai-Rameswaram Vande Bharat Express, along with additional long-distance train services to the temple town, DT Next reported.
The redevelopment is expected to improve rail connectivity to the pilgrimage town. Southern Railway General Manager RN Singh inspected the progress at the station on Thursday and confirmed that construction is in its final leg.
Southern Railway plans the Chennai-Rameswaram Vande Bharat Express, expected in September/October, as Rameswaram station nears completion post-redevelopment. Talks will also resume on the Dhanushkodi rail link, with the Pamban rail bridge noted as deteriorated.
According to him, about four to five percent of the work is pending. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the inauguration.
The new Vande Bharat service is expected to begin either in September or October. It promises to cut travel time between the state capital and the coastal temple town. While Singh confirmed the train is on track, he noted the final route is still under deliberation. Apart from the Vande Bharat service, the railway is planning to operate additional long-distance trains.
The upgraded facility now boasts extra platforms, pit lines, and modern infrastructure, to handle more train services.
The Southern Railway is likely to begin talks with the Tamil Nadu government regarding the long-stalled Dhanushkodi rail link, a project that has remained a pending since the devastating 1964 cyclone swept away the original line. The project previously hit a roadblock when the state government withheld environmental clearance over ecological concerns.
The General Manager further said that historic Pamban rail bridge has deteriorated and is longer structurally sound.
