World’s tallest, beats Eiffel Tower: This view of Chenab rail bridge is breathtaking

The Ministry of Railways posted a visual of the construction of the world’s highest railway bridge, the Chenab Bridge in J&K, right from the day the construction began to the completion of the activity. In a Then and Now format. It has snapshots from the initial period when the blasts were carried out in the mountains to pave the way for the construction to the drilling activity, erecting the piers and girders. The bridge is scheduled to go operational in 2024 with a total lifespan of 120 years. 

The Ministry of Railways tweeted, “Inch by inch, traversed the enormous Chenab! Catch a glimpse of the timeline of the structure that stands tall now as the culmination of decades of development: the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on March 26 this year traveled on the track-mounted vehicle on the track of the Chenab bridge inspecting the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project from Chenab bridge-Dugga. 

World’s tallest railway bridge

Located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chenab Bridge known as Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (JUSBRL) connects Jammu and Kashmir, cutting across Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund-Baramulla.

It will lead to the improvement of local economic conditions and improvement of transportation accessibility in the region. The project was envisioned to provide ease of movement for the residents of J&K, who were finding it difficult to travel in and around the mountainous terrain of the state.

The project proposal was suggested in 2003 and the Jammu-Udhampur section was completed and opened in April 2005. It comprised of 161 km and the Katra - Banihal section of the bridge was constructed later. The total length of the bridge is 272 km.

Along the bridge, there are multiple tunnels and small bridges. Due to construction challenges, the project was suspended in 2008, which again began in 2009 after the review proposals were cleared by the Railway Board. Built on the river Chenab, the bridge provides access to the Kashmir valley to Udhampur. The project is expected to be completed by January/February 2024.

In numbers: Chenab Bridge

Height of the bridge: 
The height of Chenab Bridge is 359 metres (taller than Eiffel Ttower). Currently, the highest railway bridge is located in China on river Bepanjiang in Guizhou Province. The height is 275 metres.

Built at an estimated cost: 
28,000 crore

Length of the bridge: 
1315 meters

Number of pillars: 
17

Metric tonnes of steel used:
28,660 metric tons

Can withstand winds with speed:
266 Kms / hour

Deck segments:
93

Lifespan of the bridge:
120 years