Mesmerising Visuals Emerge As Kashmir's 1st Vande Train Crosses Iconic Anji Bridge
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Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by PM Modi yesterday. The bridge itself is an architechtural marvel as it provides seamless connectivity between Katra and Reasi
Visuals have emerged from inside the Kashmir's first Vande Bharat Express train as it crossed the Anji Khad Bridge on Saturday. As the Vande train moved on the bridge, the video captured the mesmerising beauty of the Kashmir valley.
The Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday. The bridge itself is an architechtural marvel as it provides seamless connectivity between Katra and Reasi.
The Kashmir's Vande train, a symbol of progress and connectivity, will run daily between Katra and the Kashmir Valley. Earlier, passengers from any part of the country could travel by train up to Katra only. From there, they would have to take road or air route to reach Srinagar and the Kashmir Valley but now they have train connectivity till Kashmir.
#WATCH | Visuals from inside of Kashmir's first Vande Bharat Express train as it crosses the Anji Khad Bridge, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday. pic.twitter.com/HwhaHnDGyn — ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2025
Further, a couple from Varanasi celebrated their son's birthday on board the Kashmir's Vande train by cutting the cake as it reached Anji Khad Bridge
The child's father Rakesh Jaiswal said they celebrated the birthday on train so it becomes memorable for his son named Moksh.
'It was a coincidence that it was our son's birthday the same day PM Modi was going to flag off this train. We thought we should celebrate our son's birthday on the first journey of this train so that his birthday becomes memorable for him," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
Now, the train will not only cut down travel time but also boost tourism and make Kashmir more accessible.
The Anji Bridge, on which the train will travel, holds the distinction of being first cable-stayed railway bridge in India. Connecting Katra and Reasi, the bridge has 96 cables. It is designed to withstand the region's challenging terrain and seismic activity.
Built by Konkan Railway, the bridge spans the Anji River – a tributary of the Chenab. Situated about 80 kilometres from Jammu, the Anji Bridge is 331 metres above the riverbed and stretches 725 metres across. The total length of cable strand used in the bridge is an impressive 653 kilometres. Over 8,200 metric tonnes of structural steel were used for its construction.
Besides the Vande train, PM Modi also unveiled the 111-kilometre Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project on Friday that now allows direct train connectivity to Kashmir from Jammu.
A remarkable feat of engineering, the USBRL is a 272-km-long project, and barring the 111-km section, trains were already operating on the remaining 161 km from both ends. Altogether, the project includes 36 tunnels (collectively 119 km) and 943 bridges.
The railways ministry believes that the USBRL project – sanctioned in 1994-95 – is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken in the country post-independence.
The journey between Katra and Banihal will pass through 37 bridges with a combined length of seven km. The list includes 26 mega and major bridges and 11 minor ones.
When starting the journey from Katra, passengers will come across a number of minor bridges and at least four unique bridges on their way to Srinagar.
First Published:
June 07, 2025, 15:15 IST
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