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The [['''Pamban Branch Railway]] ''' was a metre gauge([[Rail_gauge_#Metre_Gauge|MG]]) single line completed in 1914 by the [[South Indian Railway]] Company(SIR).<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamban_Bridge Wikipedia "Pamban_Bridge"]; Retrieved 13 Dec 201521 Jun 2016</ref>The line linked the SIR network in India at [[MaduraiMadura]] with the Island of [[Pambam]], from where there was a ferry connection to [[Ceylon]].

Also described as Prior to the '''Madura-Pamban Railway''' in some recordsconstruction of this line, it traffic between India and Ceylon was first surveyed by carried via [[Ernest Ifill ShadboltTuticorin]] between the years of 1888 and 1893[[Colombo]], a route which line, which has necessitated a 12-hours' sea journey. (see 'Personnel' below)

It involved ==Background==A railway to link [[Dhanushkodi]] in India to [[Talaimannar]] in [[Ceylon]], a distance of 22 miles(35km), was a constant challenge to railway engineers. The route would follow the construction chain of the ''limestone shoals known as "Adam's Bridge" between [[Pamban Viaduct]]''' across Island (also known as Rameswaram Island), off the submerged reef lying between the mainland of India Indian south-eastern coast, and Mannar Island, off the Island north-western coast of [[Panbam]]Ceylon (RameswaramSri Lanka) . Geological evidence suggests that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka <ref>[httphttps://wwwen.icevirtuallibrarywikipedia.comorg/contentwiki/article/10.1680/imotp.1915.16223 Institution of Civil Engineers Adam%27s_Bridge Wikipedia "Minutes of the ProceedingsAdam's Bridge" Volume 199, Issue 1915, 01 January 1915 , pages 377 –387]; Retrieved 13 Dec 201521 Jun 2016</ref>.

Prior to The route was first considered in 1876 but no definite decision was taken until 1894 with a proposal from the construction of this lineCeylon Government, followed a year later by a survey by the Indian Government. These proposals were rejected as the outlay was greater than the anticipated traffic between India would justify and Ceylon the idea of bridging the sea was carried via Tuticorin and Colomboabandoned <ref> Southern Railway Heritage Centre "Marvels of the South Indian Railway 1859-1951", a pages 63-64 </ref>. The route which line, which has necessitated a 12described as the '''Madura-hoursPamban Railway' sea journey'' in some records, was surveyed by [[Ernest Ifill Shadbolt]] between the years of 1888 and 1893. This (see 'Personnel' below) ==History==*1902, the branch then became of the main line, extended SIR from [[Madura]] to [[Pambam]] Island was completed as far as [[Mandapam]], a village on the coast on the mainland side of the narrow strait which divides the island from the shore, a distance of 90 miles (145km) <ref>[http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V16_405.gif "Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1906" page 399]; Retrieved 21 Jun 2016</ref>*1908, after much consultion it was decided to build a viaduct from mainland India across the Palk Strait to [[Pamban]] Island with a "Scherzer Rolling Lifting Bridge" over the Pamban Pass shipping passage. The proposal involved:- **A short 6km extension of the existing railway line from [[Mandapam]] to the tip of the coast.**The construction of the 2 km long '''[[Pamban Viaduct]]''' across the submerged reef lying between the mainland of India and the Island of [[Pamban]], this section to include the "Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge".**A 30 km line across Pamban Island via Rameswaram to [[Dhanushkodi]] to connect to the 'Indo-Ceylon Ferry Service'*Work started on the viaduct in June 1911 and completed in June 1913. The line was opened in February 1914 together with the 'Indo-Ceylon Ferry Service'