Ashwini Vaishnaw shares video capturing breathtaking view of Chenab bridge

New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday shared a video capturing the breathtaking view of the Chenab railway bridge connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the world.

“Helicopter shot – Chenab bridge,” the Railway Minister wrote on X while sharing a short video of the bridge.

The Chenab Rail Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge carrying a single-track railway line, located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of the Jammu Division of J&K.

The bridge spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 m (1,178 ft) above the river, making it the world’s highest rail bridge and the world’s highest arch bridge.

In November 2017, the base supports were declared completed allowing for the start of the construction of the main arch.

In April 2021, the Chenab Rail Bridge’s arch was completed and the overall bridge was completed in August 2022.

On February 20, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the USBRL project, which encompasses the 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan section.

On June 200, the Indian Railways successfully conducted a trial run of an eight-coach MEMU train on the world’s highest railway bridge, paving the way for the start of rail service on the route from Reasi to Baramulla in Kashmir.

“After an extensive inspection of the newly constructed Chenab Bridge by senior officers from Railway Board, Northern Railway and Konkan Railway, a trial run was conducted on a 46-km-long electrified line section between Sangaldan in Ramban district and Reasi at a speed of 40 kmph,” the railways said in a statement.

–IANS

dan/