On Friday (June 6), Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Srinagar and Katra, which will complete the 42 -year -old project to connect Kashmir through trains to the rest of the country.
This bridge is like an engineering miracle kissing clouds over the deep ditch of Chenab River in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. Built at an altitude of 359 meters, this Chenab Railway Bridge, which is 35 meters high than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, is the pride of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. The 1.3 km long bridge crosses the Chenab River at an altitude of 1315 meters, which connects Katra and Reasi.
This part of the 272 km long USBRL project, which started in 2003, fulfills the dream of connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country. The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 27,949 crore, began in 2004 and was completed in 2025, using 28,000 tonnes of steel and 10,000 tonnes of concrete.
The construction of this bridge was not easy. The difficult terrain, seismic risk, and terrorist threats of Reasi laid obstacles in the path of engineers. Nevertheless, this bridge is designed to withstand an 8+ magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale and the air of 260 km/h. The 467 meter long main arch in its 17 spans makes it unique. Every night, when the Chenab river waves collide with the rocks, this bridge quietly witnesses its strength.
Chenab Bridge will improve rail connectivity, promote tourism, and speed up economic development. Railways have installed drone survey, 24/7 monitoring, and sensor-based systems for safety. Local resident Mohammad Rashid says, “This bridge is our pride. Now it will be easy to go to Srinagar, and our products will reach across the country.”
Chenab Railway Bridge is a symbol of India’s engineering capacity. It not only connects the Kashmir Valley to the country, but also shows India’s stubbornness to make the impossible possible. As soon as trains pass through this bridge, they will not only take the passengers, but also the beginning of a new era.
