World’s highest railway bridge on Chenab soon to be operational

The world’s highest arch railway bridge, which is 35m taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower, is set to open over the Chenab River in India. The bridge is built at a height of 359 m (1,178 ft) over the river, and most likely to open for traffic in early 2024.

The arch bridge is located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district, in Jammu and Kashmir according to news agency ANI. After opening the rail bridge would be the vital link between Katra and Banihal.

According to official sources, the bridge has cleared all the necessary tests. The bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), which will help link the Kashmir valley to the remaining parts of the country.

I course of the inspection of the bridge on Saturday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Railways Minister, said, : “Two more tests of running a motor trolley and bolero customised rail operation will be held. The safety checks that have been carried out so far include high-velocity winds test, extreme temperatures test, earthquake-prone test, and hydrological impacts due to rise in water level.”

“The USBRL, which links Jammu with Srinagar, will be completed by December 2023 or January 2024...all the tests have been successful. Now, the bridge is ready for operation. This is the greatest thing for J&K,” he said.

The bridge was built with an investment of $425 million (Rs 350 billion), and is ready for commissioning after necessary approvals.

Work on the main arch was completed in April 2021, while the base was finished in November 2017, as per ANI. The steel and concrete arch bridge completed a milestone in August 2022 with the completion of the overarch deck.

The bridge is designed to withstand Zone-V earthquake forces (8 on Richter scale), which is the seismic zone’s highest intensity in India. It has wind resistance capability of 260 kmph and a lifespan of 120 years, said the official sources.

The construction work of the 1.3-km bridge began in 2004. The work was halted almost for two years in from 2008-09 due to safety reasons. The base of the bridge was finished in November 2017, and the main arch was completed in April 2021. The steel and concrete arch bridge completed a milestone in August 2022 with the completion of the overarch deck.