THIS Is Worlds Highest Railway Bridge; Not In Japan, China Or Switzerland; Its In...
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The Chenab Bridge, located in India, is the world's highest railway bridge. Towering above the Chenab River, the engineering marvel of the country surpasses even the height of the Eiffel Tower of Paris.
In a post on the social media platform X, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, regarding the soon-to-be inaugurated Chenab Bridge, wrote, "Built to withstand nature's toughest tests."
"A proud symbol of New India's strength and vision!" the Minister added. https://zeenews.india.com/photos/india/this-is-worlds-highest-railway-bridge-not-in-japan-china-or-switzerland-its-in-2910773 Updated:Jun 03, 2025, 08:30 PM IST PM To Inaugurate
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir on June 6, 2025 (Friday). Which State In India?
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The Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, is located in India's Jammu and Kashmir. Which Railway Link?
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The Chenab Bridge is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL). Height Of The Highest Railway Bridge
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The world's highest railway bridge spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 meters above the river, which is 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. How Many Feet Above Riverbed?
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The arch bridge between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of J-K is 1,178 feet above the riverbed. It forms a link from Katra to Banihal. Designed To Withstand Earthquake
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One of the unique features of the Chenab Bridge is that it was designed to bear earthquake forces of the highest intensity zone-V in India, according to a statement of the Ministry of Railways. Over Two Decades Of Wait
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The project was approved in 2003 but was delayed due to fears of stability and safety. The contract for constructing the Chenab Bridge was awarded in 2008. Test Conducted Successfully
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Earlier, Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that all the tests on the Chenab Railway Bridge were conducted and were successful. Tests For What?
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The tests were conducted to check the stability and safety of the Chenab Bridge. They include high-velocity winds test, extreme temperatures test, earthquake-prone test, and hydrological impacts due to water level increase. Lifespan
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The world's highest railway bridge will be able to withstand winds with speeds up to 260 km/hr and will have a lifespan of 120 years. Length Of Bridge
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This bridge is 1315m (1.315km) long. Credits
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The construction of the bridge involved a mammoth 7.5 lakh cum of earthwork in excavation for the foundation, about 36,500 cum of concreting with 7,000 MT of reinforcement steel, and 7,552 MT of structural steel. Just ahead of B-39 is the 777-m-long Bridge Number 43. The double-line Salal station yard is located on this bridge. The superstructure of the bridge is a continuous composite steel girder. The bridge is partly straight (490 m) and partly curved (287 m). The major part of B-43 is located on a gentle to moderate slope, but the initial four foundations are located on a steep slope and have been stabilized by a special hybrid well foundation. Construction of this bridge involved about four lakh cum of earthwork, 36,948 cum of concrete, 5,862 MT of reinforcement steel, 7,920 MT of structural steel, and 15,959 m of micropiles. It is important to note that the concept of hybrid foundation was adopted on USBRL Bridges 39 and 43 due to the peculiar alignment along steep hill slopes. As per official records, it was not feasible to provide open foundations or sink dry wells, as excavation could have triggered slope instability. Hybrid foundations were constructed using micropiles in such a way that the lower portion functions as a pile foundation and the upper portion as a conventional well. Chenab Bridge Next in line is Bridge 44 across the River Chenab. Built at a height of 359 m from the riverbed, the Chenab Bridge has a central span of 467 m. This bridge qualifies for the world record for being the highest rail bridge from the riverbed. The bridge is taller than the Eiffel Tower, the Railways has claimed. Just one more day to majestic 'Chenab Bridge" going be inaugurated by PM Shri @narendramodi on 6th June 2025. Beginning of a grand new chapter for #JammuandKashmir! — Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) June 5, 2025 To construct the arch portion over the river, a novel cable car-based method was designed and commissioned. This cable car system operates on 54-mm-thick cables stretched across the river valley and anchored to 127-metre-high pylons on either side. The project required a massive amount of structural steel, with the Chenab Bridge alone consuming approximately 29,000 metric tonnes. To ensure long-term durability despite harsh weather conditions, corrosion-resistant paint has been used. In addition, the structure is blast-proof and can withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 8 on the Richter Scale. The bridge is also equipped with an online safety monitoring system for real-time alerts. The expected life of the Chenab Bridge is more than 100 years. Chenab Bridge can withstand wind speeds of up to 260 kilometres per hour. Structural steel suitable for temperatures ranging from minus 10 to 40 degrees Celsius has been used, ensuring resilience across seasonal extremes. The most sophisticated 'Tekla' software was used for structural detailing, enabling high precision in design and execution. Out of the 37 bridges, 24 are located between Katra and Dharam, including Chenab and Anji. The total length of the remaining 22 bridges — excluding Anji and Chenab — is 2.6 km and involved about 15 lakh cum of earthwork, 1.5 lakh cum of concrete, 27,000 MT of reinforcement steel, and 28,000 MT of structural steel. Tunnels: Carving Through the Himalayas Out of the 111-km Katra-Banihal section, 97.42 km (87%) lies in tunnels. The section houses not only some of the tallest and most unique bridges but also 12.77-km-long Tunnel No. 50, India's longest transportation railway tunnel. T-50 connects Khari and Sumber and passes through complex geology including quartzite, gneiss, and phyllite. The route faced major construction hurdles such as high water ingress, landslides, shear zones, and jointed volcanic rock formations. To meet these challenges, engineers built three access tunnels to allow work from multiple faces simultaneously, accelerating the construction timeline. The design includes a main tunnel and a parallel escape tunnel, connected through cross-passages every 375 metres to ensure safety. This tunnel is equipped with CCTV cameras installed at every 50 metres, with all feeds monitored from a central control room to support safe and smooth operations. Between Katra and Dharam, a total of 16 tunnels with a collective length of about 45 km are located. The construction of these tunnels was done by the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), the I–System, and conventional methods. top videos View all Among the other long tunnels along the route is the 9-km Tunnel No.13, located near Dugga in Reasi district. With the commissioning of the Katra-Banihal section, the decades-long dream of seamless train travel to the Kashmir Valley becomes a reality. Beyond engineering marvels, this line promises new avenues for tourism, trade, and strategic connectivity — linking one of India's most remote regions to the heart of the nation. About the Author Nivedita Singh Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @ More Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Chenab Bridge Katra srinagar vande bharat Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 05, 2025, 15:00 IST News india Kashmir Vande Bharat: Train Journey From Katra Via 37 Bridges, 27 Tunnels Paves Way To Srinagar
