In the sacred precincts of Rameshwaram, anticipation reaches a crescendo as pilgrims and residents yearn for the restoration of train services to Mandapam, nestled on the mainland of India. The echoes of train whistles have been conspicuously absent for over an year, a period marked by the deliberate cessation of rail connectivity from the mainland. This hiatus, however, is not an arbitrary disruption but a strategic pause orchestrated to pave the way for progress. At the heart of this suspension lies the ambitious endeavour of constructing a new Pamban Bridge adjacent to its time-honoured predecessor. The old Pamban Bridge, an…