Track laying work starts on world’s highest railway bridge in J&K

The dream project of Indian Railways to connect Kashmir with Kanayakumari is in final stages as track laying work on world’s highest railway bridge on Chenab in Reasi district has already begun.

The Chenab Rail Bridge is a steel and concrete arch between Bakkal and Kauri and just 42 km from the main Reasi town in the Reasi district of Jammu. The 1.3-kilometre-long bridge, which is 35 metres higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, forms a crucial link in the vital linkage of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.

“Another milestone in USBRL Project! Track laying work begins on Chenab Bridge. Once completed, this bridge will open up new possibilities for the remote regions of Jammu & Kashmir (sic),” Konkan Railways said in a tweet.

“Once completed, this bridge will open up new possibilities for the remote regions of Jammu and Kashmir,” it shared the tweet with a collage of pictures vis-a-vis track laying work in progress.

The project is being constructed at a cost of Rs 21,653 crore. According to the Ministry of Railways, 90 per cent of the work on the project connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari was “almost complete.”

The Ministry, however, had not given any specific deadline for completion of the project, which was, as per initial schedule, likely to be completed by June, 2023.

The total length of the project, an all-weather high-speed alternative, named the USBRL is 272 kms, out of which 161 km has already been commissioned, while work on the remaining length of 111 km from Katra to Banihal is in progress.

A construction marvel in the tough Himalayan terrain, the USBRL will provide all weather connectivity to the people of J&K. According to Railway officials, there are many firsts associated with this project - power operated cars for inspection and maintenance of bridges, being provided for the first time in India.

For the first time, the National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL) accredited lab has been set up at site for testing of welded elements in Indian Railways and the bridge is designed to bear earthquake forces of zone V.

Once completed, the bridge will be able to withstand winds with speed up to 260 kmph and will have a lifespan of 120 years, the officials added.