First trial on world's highest Chenab rail bridge, higher than Eiffel Tower, successful [details]

Indian Railway officials on Sunday conducted the first trial on the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Northern Railway will soon start train services on this bridge, which connects Sangaldan in Ramban district to Reasi.

Deepak Kumar, an engineer with Konkan Railways, told media persons that the rail service is expected to begin shortly after a successful trial run of the first train from Sangaldan to Reasi on Sunday.

This trial completes the railway connection between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared that all parts of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project are nearly done, except for one tunnel.

Kumar expressed joy over reaching Reasi station with the wagon tower, praising the hard work of laborers and engineers. Currently, trains run from Kanyakumari to Katra and from Baramulla to Sangaldan. The USBRL project is expected to finish by the end of this year, after being partially inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20, 2024.

The Chenab Rail Bridge stands 359 meters above the river, taller than the Eiffel Tower, and is 1,315 meters long. It's part of a larger effort to connect Kashmir Valley to India's railway network. The project began with the Qazigund-Baramulla section in 2009 and continued with more sections opening up until 2014.

CRS to inspect the Sangaldan-Reasi section

Reports indicate that DC Deshwal, the Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS), will inspect the 46-km railway section between Sangaldan and Reasi, which includes the world's highest steel arch rail bridge over the Chenab River and major tunnels. This inspection is scheduled for June 27 and 28.

So far, 209 km of the total 272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link (USBRL) project have been completed in stages. The project began with the Qazigund-Baramulla section in 2009 and continued with additional sections until February this year.

Once the 46-kilometer Sangaldan-Reasi section is operational, only a 17-kilometer stretch between Reasi and Katra will remain to be completed. This final section is expected to be finished by year-end, fulfilling the long-standing goal of connecting Kashmir to the rest of India by train. This ambitious project began in 1997 and faced delays due to geological, topographical, and weather challenges.

It is anticipated that the first train from Sangaldan to Reasi will be flagged off on June 30, linking Reasi district in Jammu with Kashmir by rail.

Bridge is 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower

This arch bridge is being built on the Chenab River in the Reasi district of the Jammu division, and is 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. The height of its arch is 359 meters above the water level of the Chenab River. Salal-A and Dugga railway stations have been connected on both sides with the launch of the overarch deck of the Chenab bridge.

The bridge is being made earthquake-resistant. This bridge is part of the 272 km long railway project from Udhampur to Baramulla. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link is an ambitious project of the country.

The length of the 17-pillared bridge is 1315 meters and 28,660 metric tonnes of steel have been used in its construction at Rs 1,486 crore. The installed arch weighs 10,619 metric tons. The steel used in the structure is suitable for temperatures ranging from minus 10 °C to minus 40 °C. The minimum lifespan of the bridge is 120 years. It is being made to run trains at a speed of 100 km.

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link is included in the country's ambitious project, for which an estimated expenditure of Rs 28,000 crores is to be spent.