Chenab Bridge inaugurated: PM Modi launches world's tallest railway bridge in J&K, connecting Kashmir to India's rail network

Time of India

06-06-2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi
inaugurated the
Chenab Rail Bridge
in
Jammu and Kashmir
today, marking a historic milestone in India's railway network. The bridge, the world's highest railway arch, will connect the
Kashmir
valley to the rest of the country by rail for the first time. J&K CM
Omar Abdullah
, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Minister Jitendra Singh were also present at the occasion. He will also launch the
Anji Khad bridge
which will be India's first cable-stayed railway bridge.
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
walked to the designated viewpoint, where he was briefed on the features of the bridge. He was also seen interacting with engineers and workers at a museum set up near the site.
It is the
world's highest railway bridge
at a height of 359m above the riverbed. The bridge spans 1.3 kilometre or 1,315 metres. This bridge will provide all weather access to Jammu & Kashmir which will aid in easier movement of troops to the region. It took 28,000 tonnes of steel and 66,000 cubic metres of concrete to build the bridge.
The bridge used 'Tekla software platform' which helped in maintaining accuracy in both design and construction phase.
The bridge can withstand wind speed up to 260kmph, and withstand a 8 magnitude earthquake. It is blast resistant and has a lifespan of 120 years and can combat temperatures from –10 °C to 40 °C.
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The Chenab bridge is part of the 272 km long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla(USBRL) project costing approximately Rs 44,000crores. This bridge will connect J&K to the Indian railway network. Trains would be able to run at speeds up to 100kmph.
The Chenab bridge is between the Kauri and Bakkal part of USBRL. There are 36 tunnels and 943 bridges in this project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated two
Vande Bharat trains
, the trains on this route have been equipped with silicone heating pads and a heating plumbing pipeline, which will prevent the water from freezing at temperatures even below zero
These trains will cover the distance between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Railway station to Srinagar Railway station in less than three hours compared to six hours by road.