Chenab Bridge Opens: Why It Was India's Biggest Engineering Challenge

The Chenab bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, is among the key infrastructure projects inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in Jammu and Kashmir. It is part of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) that marks a key milestone for Indian engineering. The project also includes India's first cable-stayed rail bridge at Anji Khad.

What Makes the Chenab Bridge Special

The 1.31-km-long Chenab bridge project was approved in 2003, and its construction took two decades to complete. There are various reasons that makes it special:

• Built at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore, it is the world's highest railway bridge.
• An engineering marvel, it is made with 28,660 mega tonnes of steel that can withstand sub-zero temperatures as well as up to 40 degrees.
• At 359 metres, it is taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris by 35 times and is at least five times the height of Qutub Minar. The government had described it as the "biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history".
• The biggest obstacle to its construction was the area's challenging topography and remote location. Construction is a tall task in the Himalayan region, given the need for transporting huge machinery and other resources.
• The bridge can withstand wind speeds up to 266 km/hr and strong earthquakes. Decades of research and consultation were needed to ensure that it was strong enough for train movement and to withstand bad weather.
• The bridge has been designed in a way that allows trains to pass through at a low speed even if a pier supporting the structure gets damaged.

Special Vande Bharats

PM Modi also launched Vande Bharat train services between Katra and Srinagar that will likely be a game-changer for tourism in Kashmir. The trains are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and advanced features to ensure safety and passenger comfort.

The trains can run even in sub-zero temperatures. Its special features allow smooth operations in the extremely cold areas of Jammu and Kashmir. They are equipped with silicon heating pads to prevent water from freezing and bio-toilet tanks. The trains also come with an auto-draining mechanism and an anti-spall layer that will help loco pilots operate the train safely during bad weather.