Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the iconic Chenab Railway Bridge in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, marking a historic milestone in Indian infrastructure.
Located between the remote villages of Kauri and Bakkal, the bridge stands 359 metres above the Chenab River—making it the highest railway bridge in the world, even taller than the Eiffel Tower by 35 metres. The bridge spans a total length of 1,315 metres.
Built to withstand strong winds of up to 260 km/h and seismic activity, the bridge is engineered for a lifespan of 120 years.It has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore.
This bridge is a key part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which aims to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country through reliable, all-weather rail connectivity. The USBRL project, built at a cost of approximately Rs 43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels stretching over 119 km and 943 bridges.
With the Vande Bharat train now running over the Chenab Bridge, travel time between Katra and Srinagar will be cut down to just three hours—saving nearly 2 to 3 hours of journey time
