Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Chenab Bridge in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, calling it a symbol of India’s engineering strength and a key step in connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.
The bridge is located between the villages of Kauri and Bakkal and rises 359 metres above the Chenab river, making it the highest railway bridge in the world, 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. Stretching 1,315 metres, the bridge is designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km/h and earthquakes. It is built to last 120 years and cost Rs 1,486 crore.
This bridge is a vital part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a major railway project aimed at providing all-weather train connectivity to the Kashmir Valley. Approved in the mid-1990s and sped up in the 2000s, the project has faced many challenges due to the mountainous terrain and tough geology.
The full USBRL project, costing around Rs 43,780 crore, includes 272km of railway line, 36 tunnels covering 119km, and 943 bridges. The most difficult stretch, from Katra to Banihal, includes India’s longest tunnels and highest bridges, like the Chenab Bridge.
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With this part of the project now complete, the Vande Bharat train is expected to start running between Katra and Srinagar soon, reducing travel time by two to three hours. Once fully operational, the project is expected to boost tourism, improve trade and transport, and strengthen economic ties within Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the direct Vande Bharat train between Jammu and Srinagar will begin in September, once ongoing construction work at Jammu railway station is completed. “Platforms 5 and 6 will be ready by September,” he said during a visit to the station. “After that, the train service will begin.”
Anji Bridge
Modi also visited the Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, after flagging off the train service from the newly inaugurated Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Anji Bridge is an important part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which aims to connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country by train. The Prime Minister travelled by train from Chenab Bridge to Anji Bridge and met engineers who worked on the project, including some who have now retired.
Anji Bridge is built between Katra and Reasi and crosses over the Anji Khad, a deep valley that is part of the Chenab river basin. It is India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, meaning it is supported by cables that are attached to a tall central tower or pylon.
The bridge is 725 metres long and has a single pylon that rises 193 metres above its foundation. Ninety-six cables hold up the bridge deck. The design was chosen because the area is hilly, with steep slopes and landslides, making it difficult to build a regular bridge.
Because of the tough terrain, engineers decided to build a cable-stayed bridge to ensure it would be safe and strong. The bridge was constructed by Konkan Railway in partnership with Hindustan Construction Company.
Once the USBRL project is fully completed, the Anji Bridge will help trains run smoothly between Jammu and the Kashmir Valley, cutting down travel time and improving transport and trade in the region.
