Indian Railways achieves yet another milestone by successfully conducting a trial train run on the world’s highest rail bridge situated on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. The trial run was conducted between Sangaldan and Reasi. This announcement was made by none other than the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw himself. He posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on June 16 making the announcement public.
He wrote: “First trial train has successfully run from Sangaldan to Reasi, including crossing the Chenab Bridge. All construction works for the USBRL are nearly finished, with tunnel No.1 remaining partially incomplete.”
1st trial train between Sangaldan to Reasi. pic.twitter.com/nPozXzz8HM
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 16, 2024
According to officials, with the completion of this rail, travel between the Valley and the rest of the nation will become a reality in the next four to five months. Officially known as the “Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL)” project, the rail link costs around Rs 35,000 crore.
The Reasi district of Kashmir was in the news due to the recent Reasi bus attack which claimed 9 lives on June 9, 2024.
World's Highest Rail Bridge
Constructed 359 meters (about 109 feet) above the Chenab river, the Chenab bridge is regarded as the highest railway bridge in the world. Its height surpasses that of the Paris Eiffel Tower by 35 meters.
Constructed in the Reasi area of J&K, this architectural wonder spans the Chenab Bridge gorge. Its 467-meter-long arch is also referred to as the Chenab Arch Bridge. The challenging topography and harsh weather conditions in the valley made the construction of this bridge an extremely challenging task.
The bridge costs approximately Rs 14,000 crore and has a lifespan of 120 years. It can withstand strong winds up to 260 kmph, extremely high or low temperatures, earthquakes, and the effects of rising water levels in the river.
Chenab Bridge: An engineering marvel garnering praise internationally pic.twitter.com/a7z6iNpDCa
— Western Railway (@WesternRly) January 16, 2024
In the words of Vishesh Mahajan, deputy commissioner of Reasi, the bridge is “an engineering marvel of the modern world". “It is the eighth wonder of the world. The bridge, the wind speed, and its strength are wonderful,” he further added.
Importance of Train Trial
The main reason of this run trial was to ensure the stability nad safety of world's highest bridge. The 17-kilometer portion of the project between Reasi and Katra is still awaiting completion.
The Sangaldan-Reasi section would be inspected by the Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS) later this month.
Soon, train services will be available across the Chenab bridge, running from Ramban to Reasi.
Why is this Route So Important?
Approved in March 1995, the USBRL project acquired speed in 2002 when the then-prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, named it a national project. He also described it as one of the most difficult projects undertaken by the Indian Railways since independence.
Valley Gets Connected to Rest of India
It's anticipated that the project will be finished by the end of 2024. When completed, Indian Railways network will be connected to the districts of valley, including Anantnag, Pulwama, Sopian, Badgam, Srinagar, and Baramulla in J&K.
The 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan stretch of the railway line that connects Baramulla in North Kashmir with Udhampur in Jammu was inaugurated in February by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The project that started in the year 1995 is close to its completion. With the construction of this rail link, the valley will be connected to other parts of the country.
All-weather Connectivity
In present time, Kashmir has two modes of transportation that links the rest of India to it: the air route or the 300-kilometer national highway that runs between Srinagar and Jammu. But this national highway is also often closed during winters due to road blockage with snow during winters. Additionally, landslides also make the journey through land a difficult one, sometimes impossible. With the construction of this train link, the aforementioned hindrance will be removed and Kashmir will have affordable, year-round connectivity with the rest of India.
Travel-time Reduced
Moreover, with the construction of this rail link the travel time will be reduced by half. The road trip from Srinagar to Jammu takes five to six hours; with the train, it will only take three to three and a half hours.
Dependable and Safe
Constructed as part of this project, the Chenab rail bridge will offer a dependable and safe means of traversing the river, which is prone to landslides and flash floods during monsoon season.
Promoting Trade
The rail link will also aid in promoting trade for Kashmiri traders, since trains will provide hassle-free transportation of commodities to other regions of India, including apples, dry fruits, handicrafts, etc. Shipping goods from other regions of India to the Kashmir Valley may also become much less expensive, thus decreasing the cost price of the commodity.
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