New Delhi, November 02: Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), Navratna CPSE under Ministry of Railways, Government of India, in Joint Venture with GPT Infraprojects Limited, is executing the landmark Namo Setu, a double-deck Rail-cum–Road Bridge over the River Ganga at Varanasi for Indian Railways. Featuring four railway lines on the lower deck and a six-lane highway on the upper deck, the 2.5-km-long bridge will significantly enhance rail and road connectivity, strengthen freight movement and address the growing transportation requirements of Varanasi and adjoining regions.
The Union Minister of Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, inspected the under-construction bridge on October 31, 2026, during his visit to Varanasi.
During the visit, the Hon’ble Minister announced that the new bridge would be named Namo Setu. He directed that the project, originally scheduled for completion within 48 months, should be completed in an accelerated timeframe of 36 months.
On this occasion Sh. Saleem Ahmad, Chairman & Managing Director, RVNL; Sh. M P Singh, Director (operation) RVNL; Sh. Vikas Chandra, CPM of VARANASI PIU, RVNL and Sh. Shyam Singh, CAO, Construction Northern Railway were resent at the project site to brief the Hon’ble Minister.
Addressing a critical railway infrastructure bottleneck
The existing Malviya Bridge, also known as Dufferin Bridge, constructed in 1887, has served as a vital railway and road connectivity link across the Ganga for more than a century. The approximately 1,048.5-metre-long bridge carries a double railway line on its lower deck and a two-lane road on its upper deck. With the Varanasi–Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) section operating at approximately 163 per cent of its line capacity, the need for substantial augmentation of infrastructure has become imperative.
To address this critical capacity constraint, the Union Cabinet, on October 16, 2024, approved the Varanasi–Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Multitracking Project at an estimated cost of ₹2,642 crores. The project envisages the construction of a new Rail-cum–Road Bridge over the Ganga, along with the development of the third and fourth railway lines between Varanasi and DDU.
An important component of this mega infrastructure project is the construction of a 2.5-km-long Rail-cum–Road Bridge over the Ganga, including its approaches, named Namo Setu. The work has been entrusted to RVNL in association with its JV partner, M/s GPT Infraprojects Limited, at a contract value of ₹1,201.35 crores.
The foundation works under Schedule G1, involving Twin-D well foundations, have been entrusted to M/s Afcons Infrastructure Limited as a subcontractor. Namo Setu is being constructed approximately 50 metres downstream of the existing Malviya Bridge, near Kashi Railway Station, in the districts of Varanasi and Chandauli.
Distinctive engineering and design features
Namo Setu will be a modern double-deck structure with a unique configuration:
- Lower deck: Four Broad Gauge railway lines, substantially enhancing rail transportation capacity.
- Upper deck: A six-lane highway to facilitate smooth and efficient road movement across the Ganga.
- Bridge structure: Eight open-web steel girder spans of 108.5 metres each and two spans of 103.3 metres each, with an aggregate span length of approximately 1,075 metres.
- Foundations: Specialised Twin-D well foundations in the river portion.
- Overall length: Approximately 2.5 kilometres, including the approaches.
The scope of work includes construction of the substructure and superstructure, railway and road approaches, overhead electrification (OHE) and general electrical works, in accordance with the approved General Arrangement Drawing (GAD).
The bridge is being designed to cater to the transportation requirements of the coming decades, with the Hon’ble Minister emphasising the need to keep the infrastructure future-ready for the next 100 years.
Significant enhancement in railway capacity and regional connectivity
The project will:
- Enhance freight movement, with an additional transportation capacity of 27.83 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
- Strengthen connectivity towards Bihar, West Bengal and the northeastern states through improved rail and road infrastructure.
- Improve access to Kashi Railway Station, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Namo Ghat, benefiting pilgrims, tourists and local commuters.
- Generate approximately 10 lakh human-days of direct employment during construction, besides creating wider socio-economic opportunities.
- The project forms part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and reflects Indian Railways‘ commitment to building future-ready infrastructure through integrated planning, modern engineering and enhanced connectivity, contributing to the country’s economic growth and the vision of a Viksit Bharat.
Construction activities underway
Construction activities have commenced, and the fabrication of the cutting edge for the well foundation started on October 31, 2026. The project is being executed on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis.
Following the review of progress, the Hon’ble Minister of Railways has directed the executing agency to accelerate construction and complete the project within 36 months, against the original contractual period of 48 months.
