Trains have begun operating across the world’s tallest railway arch bridge, the Chenab Rail Bridge, which towers 1,178 feet above the Chenab River in India.
The bridge, located in the Reasi district, officially opened on Friday, June 6, after an inauguration ceremony led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Jammu and Kashmir region this morning.
Why It Matters
The Chenab Rail Bridge’s completion bridges links Kashmir to the rest of India via railway for the first time.
Modi‘s inauguration of the bridge underlines India’s hold on Kashmir just weeks after an insurgent attack on tourists in Pahalgam killed 26 people and prompted the biggest confrontation in decades with Pakistan, which India blamed for the attack despite its denials.
What To Know
The Chenab Rail Bridge is a steel and concrete structure stretching 4,314 feet across the Chenab River gorge. Its main deck is raised 1,178 feet above the riverbed, making it both the highest rail bridge and the tallest arch bridge on the planet.
This structure is taller than France’s Eiffel Tower in height, and its opening coincided with the launch of new Vande Bharat Express trains on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link.
The bridge was designed by WSP Finland and built under the supervision of the Konkan Railway Corporation.
Blast-proof steel and self-compacting concrete were used in its construction due to seismic risks and security concerns. The bridge is engineered to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 8 and wind speeds up to 266 km/h (165 miles per hour)
Unlike a suspension bridge, arch bridges are more rigid and less flexible under pressure, but are better for supporting heavy loads like trains. Construction took place in a section of the Himalayan mountains, which complicated the transport of materials and machinery.
The Chenab Bridge will complete the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, a 169-mile project aimed at integrating Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. The bridge’s completion is expected to stimulate tourism, improve logistics for agriculture and industry, and enhance military mobility where needed.
The Chenab bridge overtook the Najiehe Railway Bridge in Guizhou, China, which is 310 meters tall (1,017 feet) and had been the tallest rail bridge since its opening in 2016.
The bridging of the Chenab has been discussed since the late 1970s. The foundation for broader railway integration in Kashmir was laid in 1983, with significant progress only materializing in the 2000s. After numerous delays for safety and design reassessment, the main arch was completed in April 2021.
What People Are Saying
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the inauguration event, said: “The Tricolour flies high over the Chenab Rail Bridge! It’s a feeling of immense pride that this bridge seamlessly blends ambition with execution, reflecting India’s growing capability to build futuristic infrastructure in the most challenging terrains.
“The inauguration of mega infrastructure projects today marks a turning point in Jammu and Kashmir’s development journey.”
What Happens Next
Regular passenger trains, including Vande Bharat Express services, are now set to operate along the USBRL with the Chenab Bridge as a central link.
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