'Breathtakingly beautiful': Railways drops pics of world's highest rail bridge Chenab

The Indian Railways shared some stunning photos of the World’s highest rail bridge, Chenab on September 14. They used the caption, "A sight of the breathtakingly beautiful Chenab Bridge," on Twitter.

Notably, the golden joint of the bridge was inaugurated on August 13, completing over 98 per cent of the bridge, which will, for the first time ever provide railway connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of India. 

The photos show the bridge covered with clouds and surrounded by mountains and forests from all directions; two pics feature the bridge close from side angles and two snaps from a distance away.

Significant features of the world’s highest bridge

- The bridge, when finished, will be 35 metres higher than the Eiffel tower

- The massive arch-shaped structure uses around 30,350 tonnes of steel and will stand 359 meters above the river bed.  

- After completion, the bridge will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in China

- 1.315 Km Bridge will have stations at both ends 

- 22 km of roads were built as an access path for the construction of the bridge

- Approximately 1,300 workers and 300 engineers worked on the mega project

Security of the Bridge

- Steel was considered to be the safest material to construct the bridge because it is able to withstand temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of above 260 kmph. The region is prone to frequent terror attacks, so the Railways have used 63mm thick blast-proof steel.  

- The Railways have also put up sensors along the railway tracks to detect wind speeds. Once the speed surpasses 90 kmph, the train movement on the bridge will be stopped.

- The pillars of the bridge are designed to withstand explosions and have been applied with corrosion-resistant paint, which will last for over 15 years.  

Chenab Bridge will boost tourism

- Footpaths and a cycle trail will be built adjacent to the bridge.

- The bridge is also expected to host bungee jumping and other adventure sports events in the near future.

- Sightseeing points, trekking routes and hotels are planned to come up in the vicinity of the bridge.