PM Modi to flag off Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat, inaugurate world's highest Chenab rail bridge
PM to inaugurate Chenab rail bridge
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the world's highest railway bridge, built over the Chenab River in Reasi district on June 6. Union minister Jitendra Singh confirmed this on Tuesday.
Along with the bridge, the Prime Minister will also launch the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train service.
In a post on X, Jitendra Singh wrote: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the Chenab Bridge on 6th June... History in the making. Just 3 days to go! The mighty Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, stands tall in Jammu and Kashmir..."
The Chenab railway bridge, now officially part of the Katra to Sangaldan rail section, stands as the world's highest railway arch bridge.
This will be the first-ever train link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India.
The bridge towers 359 meters above the Chenab River, surpassing even the Eiffel Tower in height. For the first time, Kashmir will be directly linked to the rest of India via rail.
This bridge is a key component of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which spans 272 kilometers and includes 36 tunnels totaling 119 kilometers and nearly 1,000 bridges.
The terrain's complexity and the region's seismic sensitivity posed major engineering challenges, but Indian engineers successfully executed this ambitious project, a feat many once deemed impossible.
Railway officials highlighted the Chenab Bridge's structural strength, mentioning that it can withstand wind speeds over 250 km/h and was built using about 30,000 metric tons of steel. One foundation, known as S20, is so massive it covers nearly one-third of a football field, specifying the scale and vision behind the structure.
The entire USBRL project represents not just engineering excellence but also New India's resolve and determination. With electric engines powered by specially designed overhead equipment (OHE) and advanced tunnel safety systems, the railway line is built for resilience and long-term service.
The train service was earlier planned to begin on April 19 but was postponed after cancellation of PM Modi's visit due to bad weather. After the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, this railway project now holds even more importance than before.
Stay informed with the latest
business
news, updates on
bank holidays
and
public holidays
.
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
7 minutes ago
- News18
Why Sitting On The Fence? In Belgium, Indian Delegation Questions West On Terrorism
Last Updated: Speaking in Brussels, MJ Akbar questioned West's silence on terror attacks against India. Former Union Minister MJ Akbar, part of an all-party delegation in Europe, on Wednesday criticised the international community for its double standards on terrorism. Speaking in Brussels, Akbar questioned the perception that Indian lives are less valuable, pointing out the West's silence on terror attacks against India. 'Are there two laws in this world? One for America and the West, and another for India?" Akbar asked, as reported by news agency ANI. 'After 9/11, the US traveled 12,000 kilometers to seek justice in Afghanistan and Pakistan, holding Pakistan accountable—General Musharraf admitted it. But when India takes action just 500 kilometers away to combat terror, we are told to show restraint," he continued. Led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, the delegation is on a multi-nation tour covering Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, and the UK. Their goal is to expose Pakistan's ongoing support for terrorism and advocate for justice for Indian victims of terror. Akbar emphasised that India's pursuit is for justice, not revenge. 'Indian lives are equally precious. We share Europe's values of democracy and freedom. Yet, too many still sit on the fence," he remarked. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi echoed similar sentiments, criticising Pakistan for harbouring terrorists and undermining democracy. Citing Pakistan's political instability and military interference, she described it as 'senseless radicalisation." She also condemned former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's past remarks on India's counter-terror actions, calling them cowardly and hypocritical. Ravi Shankar Prasad reinforced that India's stance is based on justice, not revenge. 'We ask the world: do the victims of terror have human rights or not?" he inquired, adding that while India has shown restraint in the past, it now demands global accountability. The delegation includes MPs from various political parties, including BJP, Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), AIADMK, alongside former diplomats. Their mission is to highlight Pakistan's role in cross-border terrorism and advocate for a consistent, values-based global approach to counterterrorism. The delegation was formed following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 innocent people. This prompted an urgent diplomatic outreach and a renewed call for global solidarity in the fight against terror. First Published:
New Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
We will not hold dialogues with people who are pointing gun at our heads: Shashi Tharoor
Tharoor emphasised that the all-party parliamentary delegation is in the US to enhance understanding and clarify India's stance and explain if there are any misapprehensions on the part of interlocutors. He said that all the arty delegation just wants to explain India's stance, and they do not want nations to do anything other than to understand India's point of view. When asked about the outcomes agreed upon or India expects from this visit in terms of US action with regards to Pakistan, he responded, "We aren't really here to negotiate outcomes. That's the job of the government. Our job is to enhance understanding, to clarify our position and to explain if there are any questions or misapprehensions on the part of our interlocutors, we'd be very happy to address them. There wasn't a specific seek on our part beyond that. It's not that we've come here saying, would you do this for us? That's not what this is all about and that's true by the way every country we've been to." "We're just saying, this is our position, we want you to understand, and if you have any questions, we'll answer them, but that's it. We're not asking them to do anything other than to understand our point of view, to express their solidarity and to stand with us if it happens again. I mean, we have no illusions. These buildings we've destroyed and the terror camps can be built again in six months, nine months, who knows? The problem is, if they think they can keep doing this to us, they've got another thing coming because we are not going to take it. If they hit us, we will hit them back. And we want the world to understand not only what just happened, but what could happen again if Pakistan does not control these elements on its soil," he added. The delegation led by Tharoor arrived in the US on Wednesday. The delegation includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora.
Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
NATO ministers to discuss defence spending hike ahead of key summit
NATO defence ministers will gather in Brussels on Thursday to discuss how to meet Donald Trump's demand for significant increases in spending, less than three weeks ahead of a key summit of the alliance in The Hague. The U.S. president has said NATO allies should boost investment in defence to 5% of gross domestic product, up from the current target of 2%. Diplomats say the European allies understand that hiking defence expenditure is the price of ensuring a continued U.S. commitment to the continent's security and that keeping America on board means allowing Trump to be able to declare a win on his 5% demand during the summit, scheduled for June 24-25. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo "We have to go further and we have to go faster," NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters on Wednesday. "A new defence investment plan will be at the heart of the NATO summit in The Hague," he added. Live Events In a bid to meet Trump's 5% goal, Rutte has proposed alliance members boost defence spending to 3.5% of GDP and commit a further 1.5% to broader security-related spending, Reuters has reported. But details of the new investment plan will likely continue to be negotiated until the very eve of the NATO summit. "We have to find a realistic compromise between what is necessary and what is possible really to spend," German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday. Countries remain divided over the timeline for a new pledge. "There's not unlimited time," U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told reporters on Wednesday. Rutte has proposed reaching the 5% by 2032 - a date that some eastern European states consider too distant but which some others see as too early and unrealistic given current spending and industrial production levels. A 2032 target is "definitely too late", Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Wednesday, arguing for a target of 2030 at the latest. There is also an ongoing debate over how to define "defence-related" spending, which might include spending on cybersecurity and certain types of infrastructure. "The aim is to find a definition that is precise enough to cover only real security-related investments, and at the same time broad enough to allow for national specifics," said one NATO diplomat.
