The railway bridge spans the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. (image-X/OmarAbdullah)
Jammu & Kashmir: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chenab Railway Bridge on June 6, coinciding with the Eid-ul-Adha festival. Spanning the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, this awe-inspiring structure is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
More than just an engineering feat, the bridge is a strategic marvel designed to brave the elements and ensure seamless connectivity to the Kashmir Valley. Here’s a look at 10 standout features that make this bridge a symbol of engineering excellence and national pride.
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1. World’s Highest Railway Arch Bridge
Standing 359 metres above the Chenab River, the bridge towers over the Eiffel Tower by about 35 metres, making it the tallest railway bridge in the world. This sheer height allows it to surpass any railway bridge globally in terms of vertical distance from the riverbed to deck.
2. Massive Construction Scale
The bridge spans 1,315 metres in length, requiring:
- 28,660 metric tonnes of steel
- 66,000 cubic metres of concrete
- 10 lakh cubic metres of earthwork
- 26 km of motorable roads constructed for site access
At peak construction, 3,200 engineers and workers were involved in building this engineering behemoth.
3. Blast-Resistant
Given its location in a region sensitive to terrorism, the bridge has been built using 63 mm-thick blast-resistant steel, capable of withstanding blasts up to 40 kg of TNT. Even post-blast, trains can travel at 30 km/h over the bridge.
4. Extreme Weather Durability
It is engineered to resist wind speeds of up to 266 km/h and earthquakes up to 8 on the Richter scale, ensuring safety in one of India’s most seismic and weather-sensitive zones.
5. Built To Sustain Quakes
Engineers from IIT Roorkee studied the area’s rock slopes and recommended advanced techniques like grouting, anchor blocking, and shotcrete to prevent landslides. Moreover, spherical bearings isolate the rail deck from the substructure to minimise seismic impact.
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6. Real-Time Safety Monitoring
The bridge is equipped with a state-of-the-art online monitoring system that provides real-time structural health alerts, helping Indian Railways ensure passenger safety.
7. Designed In Finland
Designed using Tekla Structures software by WSP Finland and supported by Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner (Germany) and Vienna Consulting Engineers, the bridge represents modern precision engineering at its best.
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8. Innovate Materials
India used self-compacting concrete for the first time to fill steel boxes and girder ends, ensuring better durability and compactness without manual vibration, which is critical for large, inaccessible structures.
9. High-Speed Capability
Once inaugurated, the bridge will support trains running at up to 100 km/h, enhancing not just scenic value but also time efficiency for passengers travelling between Katra and Srinagar.
10. A Lifespan Of 12o Years
Built for the long haul, the bridge is coated with corrosion-resistant paint to extend its life to at least 120 years, securing the region’s rail connectivity for generations to come.
