Reasi, Jammu & Kashmir – In a historic moment for Indian Railways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the world’s highest railway arch bridge, built across the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. Celebrating this engineering feat, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a breathtaking video of the Chenab Railway Bridge on social media platform X, captioned “Sapne nahi, hakiqat bunte hai” – “We don’t dream, we weave reality.”
Rising 359 metres above the riverbed, the Chenab Bridge stands as the tallest railway arch bridge in the world. Spanning 1,315 meters in length, the bridge is constructed entirely of steel and has been designed to endure strong winds and seismic activity, given the region’s challenging terrain and seismic sensitivity.
The bridge is a crucial segment of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), a flagship infrastructure project aimed at connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India by rail for the first time. This section, specifically linking Katra to Sangaldan, is expected to drastically improve connectivity, with the Vande Bharat train soon covering the Katra–Srinagar route in just about 3 hours—cutting travel time by nearly 2–3 hours.
Beyond its engineering brilliance, the Chenab Railway Bridge holds deep strategic and social significance. By integrating the Kashmir Valley more closely with the national rail network, it promises to boost regional development, economic opportunities, tourism, and social integration.
Overcoming extreme geographical challenges, harsh weather, and complex engineering demands, the Chenab Bridge now stands as a shining symbol of India’s infrastructure advancement and inclusive growth vision.
