Indian Railways conducts trial run on world's highest Chenab railway bridge in J&K ahead of inaugural journey

The Chenab rail bridge is set to link several districts including Anantnag, Pulwama, Sopian, Badgam, Srinagar, and Baramulla (Image: Screengrab from ANI video)

Indian Railways has successfully conducted a trial run on the Chenab Rail Bridge, hailed as the world's highest railway bridge, connecting Sangaldan in Ramban district to Reasi in Jammu and Kashmir. This milestone event comes after rigorous testing to ensure the bridge's stability and safety under extreme conditions such as high-velocity winds, extreme temperatures, and earthquake-prone scenarios.

The upcoming commissioning of the Chenab Rail Bridge represents a monumental achievement for Indian Railways, with plans to flag off the first train journey scheduled for June 30.

Spanning a remarkable height of 359 meters (1,178 feet) above the Chenab River, the bridge surpasses Paris' iconic Eiffel Tower by 35 meters.

Designed as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla new line project, the bridge is set to link several districts including Anantnag, Pulwama, Sopian, Badgam, Srinagar, and Baramulla to the Indian Railways network upon completion.

The Sangaldan-Reasi section spans 46 kilometers, with only a 17-kilometer stretch between Reasi and Katra remaining to be finished.

The bridge located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district, has posed significant engineering challenges, marking it as one of the most ambitious civil-engineering feats undertaken in recent Indian railway history.

Engineered to withstand winds of up to 260 kilometers per hour, the Chenab Rail Bridge boasts a projected lifespan of 120 years.