Latest news with #KonkanRailwayCorporation
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
All you need to know about world's highest Chenab railway bridge inaugurated today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the world's highest railway bridge, constructed over the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. He also flagged off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Srinagar and Katra, marking the completion of a 42-year-old project aimed at connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country by rail. This landmark achievement is expected to open up new avenues for growth, trade, and connectivity in the region, while also boosting employment and livelihood opportunities for local communities. Here's all you need to know about the newly inaugurated bridge: 1. The Chenab rail bridge runs over the Chenab River in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. Located between Katra and Sangaldan on the Jammu-Baramulla line, the bridge was built at a cost of around Rs 1,400 crore. 2. It is the highest arch bridge in the world, with a deck height of 359 meters from the riverbed — making it 35 meters taller than Paris's iconic Eiffel Tower. 3. Connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, the bridge forms a critical part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which is being developed at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore. 4. The Chenab railway bridge is a steel-and-concrete marvel spanning 1,315 meters across the river gorge. It consists of a 530-meter-long approach bridge and a 785-meter-long deck arch bridge (the part of the bridge on which vehicles run) 5. The project was overseen by the Konkan Railway Corporation, a division of Indian Railways. The design and construction were carried out by a joint venture involving Afcons Infrastructure, South Korea-based Ultra Construction & Engineering Company, and VSL India. 6. The design for the bridge's foundation protection was prepared by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. IIT Delhi conducted the slope stability analysis, while both IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee handled the seismic analysis. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) helped in making the bridge blast-proof. 7. Steel for the bridge was supplied by the Steel Authority of India, while Swiss company Mageba provided specialised spherical stopper bearings. The project involved the fabrication of 28,660 metric tonnes of steel and also included the construction of 26 kilometers of motorable roads. 8. Sophisticated Tekla software was used for the project, allowing detailed 3D modeling of the bridge and its structural components. 9. The bridge is designed for a lifespan of 120 years and can support train speeds of up to 100 km per hour. It is capable of withstanding earthquakes up to magnitude 8 on the Richter scale, as well as high-intensity explosions equivalent to 40 tonnes of TNT. 10. The steel structure is built to endure extreme weather conditions, including temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of up to 266 km per hour. 11. Although the project was approved in 2008, construction was delayed for a time due to concerns over stability and safety in the challenging Himalayan terrain.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kashmir rail link example of continuity in governance which PM never acknowledges: Congress
The Congress on Friday (June 6, 2025) said the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) is a powerful example of continuity in governance, which it claimed is "consistently denied" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his "perennial desire for self-glory". Follow PM Modi J&K visit LIVE updates The Opposition party's assertion came just ahead of Prime Minister Modi inaugurating the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL). Stretching 272 km through the rugged Himalayas, the project has been built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said governance involves great continuity, "a fact consistently denied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his perennial desire for self-glory". This is especially true when it comes to the implementation of extraordinarily challenging developmental projects, he said in a statement. The USBRL was initially sanctioned in March 1995 when P V Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister, Mr. Ramesh said. "In March 2002, it was declared as a national project when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister. Subsequently, on April 13, 2005, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 53 km rail link between Jammu and Udhampur," he said. As the PM visits J&K today, here is our statement on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) that, like Brahmos, is a powerful example of continuity in governance which he never acknowledges but cannot run away from. — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 6, 2025 Mr. Ramesh further pointed out that on October 11, 2008, Prime Minister Singh inaugurated the 66 km rail link between Anantnag and Mazhom outside Srinagar. On February 14, 2009, Prime Minister Singh inaugurated the 31 km rail link between Mazhom outside Srinagar and Baramulla, he said. "On October 29, 2009, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 18 km rail link between Anantnag and Qazigund. On June 26, 2013, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 11 km Qazigund to Banihal rail link," he said. This meant that by June 26, 2013 the 135 km rail link between Baramulla and Qazigund had become operational, Ramesh added. The inauguration of the 25 km rail link between Udhampur and Katra had to be put off because of the election code of conduct for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he pointed out. It was inaugurated by the new Prime Minister on July 4, 2014, 39 days after he had taken over, Ramesh said. He further pointed out that since 2014, the 111 km Katra-Banihal stretch, for which major contracts had been awarded much earlier, has been completed. For instance, contracts for the iconic Chenab Bridge had been awarded by 2005 itself to the Konkan Railway Corporation, Afcons, VSK India, and Ultra Construction and Engineering Ltd of South Korea, Mr. Ramesh said. "The Indian National Congress greets the people of Jammu and Kashmir on this important occasion. It also congratulates the personnel of the Indian Railways, and the public sector and private companies involved in the execution of the USBRL over the past three decades," the AICC general secretary said. It reflects a collective resolve and success in the face of the gravest of odds, Mr. Ramesh added. Posting his statement on X, the Congress leader said, "As the PM visits J&K today, here is our statement on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) that, like Brahmos, is a powerful example of continuity in governance which he never acknowledges but cannot run away from." Tagging Mr. Ramesh's post, Congress's Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said, "A statesman always acknowledges the past as he plans the future. History can never be obliterated." Even people who wish to rewrite history will realise that history is etched in the walls of posterity, Mr. Tankha said.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Train over Chenab: With PM Modi set to inaugurate it, what went into building the world's tallest railway bridge
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to flag off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Srinagar and Katra, marking the completion of a 42-year-old project to link Kashmir with the rest of the country via trains. Of the last stretch of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (USBRL), the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section was commissioned in October 2009, followed by an 18-km stretch between Qazigund and Banihal in June 2013, Udhampur-Katra (25 kms) in July 2014 and Banihal-Sangaldan (48.1 km) stretch in February 2024. The remaining 63-km Katra-Sangaldan section is to be commissioned on June 6, and it is this section where the Prime Minister will also be inaugurating the world's highest railway bridge over Chenab. Built at a cost of around Rs 14,000 crore, the Chenab bridge is the highest rail and arch bridge in the world with a dock height of 359 meters from the river bed, 35 meters taller than Paris's iconic Eiffel Tower. A 1,315-meter steel arch and concrete structure, consisting of a 530-meter approach bridge and a 785-meter deck arch bridge (the part of the bridge on which vehicles run), it is considered India's most recent marvel in civil engineering. What were the challenges involved in its construction? Built between Bakkal and Kauri in Reasi district, the bridge falls in zone-V, a major seismic zone with a fractured geology. One of the biggest challenges was to build the bridge without obstructing the flow of the Chenab river. In the absence of any road link, carrying heavy machinery and material to the site was another big challenge. Who did what? Overseen by the Konkan Railway Corporation, the bridge's design and construction was awarded to a joint venture consisting of Afcons Infrastructure, South Korea-based Ultra Construction & Engineering Company, and VSL India. While the Finland-based WSP Group and Germany-based Leonhardt Andra and Partners designed its viaduct and foundations, and arch, respectively, the Indian Institute of Science, Banglore, prepared a design for its foundation protection. The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, analysed the slope stability. IITs Delhi and Roorkee did seismic analysis, while the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) helped in making the bridge blast-proof. How was its construction completed? The Chenab bridge was proposed in one of the most complicated and isolated terrains in India. Its deck is located on a transition curve (the part between straight and circular sections of roads) with changing radius. The bridge's construction, thus, was carried out in stages. The Steel Authority of India provided steel and a Swiss company, Mageba, supplied spherical stopper bearings for the bridge, which involved fabrication of 28,660 MT of steel for 26 km of motorable roads. The sophisticated Tekla software, which builds 3D models of buildings or infrastructure projects, was used for the bridge. What is the life of the bridge and how safe is it? It is designed to have a lifespan of 120 years and handle train speeds upto 100 km per hour. It can withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of 8 on the Richter Scale, besides high-intensity explosions equivalent to 40 tonnes of TNT. Its steel structure can withstand temperatures up to -20 degree C and wind speeds up to 266 km per hour. Even after the removal of one pier, it will remain in operation at a restricted speed of 30 km per hour.
