But the news here is that the Northern Railway has announced that very soon the train service from Ramban to Reasi will pass over the world’s highest railway bridge.
As of now, trains operate along the Kanyakumari to Katra route, with services running from Baramulla to Sangaldan in the Kashmir Valley.
Vishesh Mahajan, Reasi’s Deputy Commissioner, told ANI, “This is an extraordinary engineering feat. The day when trains start running to Reasi will be transformative for the district.
It has been reported that most engineers worked really hard to start the Rail Service At the World’s Highest Bridge, making it one of the eighth wonders of the world.
Rail Service At the World’s Highest Bridge’s construction, and resilience against wind speeds, are remarkable. While an exact date remains uncertain, we eagerly await its opening.”
Railway officials have recently conducted thorough inspections of the newly constructed railway line and stations between Sangaldan in Ramban district and Reasi.
Sujay Kumar, Deputy Chief Engineer of Konkan Railways, described the project as highly challenging. “The affected communities are very pleased. We anticipate completion shortly,” he remarked.
Some quick interesting facts about the bridge:
- Each side of this globally acclaimed structure measures approximately one-fourth the size of a football field.
- It has been reported that a total of 30,000 metric tons of steel were used in the construction of the Chenab Rail Bridge.
- ₹14,000 crore was the total cost used to build the bridge.
- The construction of the bridge was done in such a way that It can stay strong in extreme conditions, including temperatures as low as -40°C and seismic activity.
- Additionally, it can withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km/h.
Phase I of the project, covering the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section, commenced in October 2009. Subsequent phases included the inauguration of the 18 km Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013 and the 25 km Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the USBRL project, including the 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan section, on February 20, 2024.
