Namo Setu: 2.5-km double-deck bridge over Ganga to add four railway lines and six-lane highway at Varanasi

VARANASI: Indian Railways is developing a 2.5-km-long double-deck rail-cum-road bridge across the Ganga at Varanasi, with four Broad Gauge railway lines on the lower deck and a six-lane highway on the upper deck. Named Namo Setu, the project is being executed by a joint venture of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and GPT Infraprojects Limited at a contract value of ₹1,201.35 crore.

The bridge is expected to significantly augment rail and road transportation capacity in the region, improve freight movement and address infrastructure constraints on the Varanasi–Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) railway section.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the under-construction project on October 31 during his visit to Varanasi. He announced the name Namo Setu and directed the executing agency to complete the project within 36 months, against the original contractual period of 48 months.

New bridge to address railway capacity constraints

The existing Malviya Bridge, also known as Dufferin Bridge, was constructed in 1887. The approximately 1,048.5-metre structure carries two railway lines on its lower deck and a two-lane road on the upper deck.

With the Varanasi–DDU section operating at around 163% of its line capacity, additional infrastructure has become necessary to accommodate growing transportation requirements.

The Union Cabinet approved the Varanasi–DDU Multitracking Project in October 2024 at an estimated cost of ₹2,642 crore. The project includes the new rail-cum-road bridge and the development of the third and fourth railway lines between Varanasi and DDU.

Namo Setu forms a major component of this multitracking initiative. The new bridge is being constructed approximately 50 metres downstream of the existing Malviya Bridge, near Kashi Railway Station, connecting areas in Varanasi and Chandauli districts.

Double-deck design and engineering features

The bridge incorporates a combination of railway and highway infrastructure within a single structure.

Its principal engineering features include:

• Four Broad Gauge railway lines on the lower deck.
• A six-lane highway on the upper deck.
• Eight open-web steel girder spans of 108.5 metres each and two spans of 103.3 metres each.
• Specialised Twin-D well foundations in the river section.
• An overall length of approximately 2.5 km, including approaches.

The aggregate span length of the principal bridge structure is approximately 1,075 metres. The project scope also includes substructure and superstructure works, railway and road approaches, overhead electrification and general electrical works.

Freight capacity and regional connectivity

According to RVNL, the project is expected to provide an additional freight transportation capacity of 27.83 million tonnes per annum.

The improved rail and road infrastructure is also expected to strengthen connectivity towards Bihar, West Bengal and the northeastern states.

The bridge will improve access to Kashi Railway Station, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Namo Ghat, supporting movement of pilgrims, tourists and local commuters. Construction is expected to generate approximately 10 lakh human-days of direct employment.

The project is part of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which promotes integrated infrastructure planning and connectivity across transport networks.

Construction and completion timeline

Construction activities are underway, with fabrication of the cutting edge for the well foundation commencing on October 31, 2026. The project is being executed on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis.

Following his inspection, the Railway Minister directed the executing agency to accelerate construction and complete the bridge within 36 months.

Once completed, Namo Setu will add a major rail and road crossing over the Ganga, while providing additional capacity to a railway corridor that is already operating under significant traffic pressure.