Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chenab Rail Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, June 6. Later in the day, he also flagged off the first Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Srinagar, which offer a fast and reliable travel option to residents, pilgrims and tourists.
Standing 359 m above the riverbed—taller than the Eiffel Tower—the 1,315-m-long steel arch spans the Chenab River in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. As part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, it connects the Kashmir Valley to the Indian railway network and has been recognised globally as an engineering marvel due to its construction in a seismically active and mountainous region.
After landing at the Air Force Station in Udhampur, Modi took an aerial survey of the Chenab Rail Bridge before reaching the site for the official inauguration. In a symbolic gesture, he waved the Indian national flag while standing on the bridge deck.
Designed to withstand earthquakes up to eight on the Richter scale and a whopping 40 kg-TNT blast, the world’s highest railway bridge has been designed by WSP Finland with German firm Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner designing the bridge arches, and Vienna Consulting Engineers aiding in the design of the pylons. The workers and engineers of Konkan Railway Corporation brought the plans to life.
The bridge's construction involved 28,660 metric tonnes of steel, 10 lakh cubic m of earthwork, 66,000 m of concrete and 26 km of motorable roads. According to those involved in the building of the Chenab Rail Bridge, the overall weight of the arch is a whopping 10,619 metric tonnes.
It has cost an estimated INR 1,456 crores to build the bridge, which required a a whopping 3,200 workers and engineers working simultaneously at its peak to complete it.
People involved in the construction note that the bridge’s life is estimated to be 120 years. To ensure its longevity, corrosion-resistant paint has been used. Moreover, it has been equipped with an online safety monitoring system for real-time alerts.
The Northern Railway announced that the Vande Bharat Express trains between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra will commence regular services on June 7. Outlook Traveller had earlier reported on the first services between the two points commencing on February 17, 2025.
The services will operate six days a week, enhancing connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the prominent pilgrimage destination. Currently, two pairs of Vande Bharat Express trains will be introduced.
According to Northern Railway, the two Vande Bharat trains will run a total of four trips daily on this route. Train number 26401 will depart from Katra at 8:10 AM and reach Srinagar by 11:08 AM. On the return leg, it will leave Srinagar at 2 PM and reach Katra by 4:58 PM. This train will not run on Tuesdays.
The second service, train number 26403, will depart from Katra at 2:55 PM and arrive in Srinagar at 5:53 PM. Its return journey from Srinagar will begin early the next morning, arriving in Katra at 8 PM. This train will not operate on Wednesdays.
Passengers travelling on the new Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express will have to pay INR 715 for a chair car seat and INR 1,320 for executive class.
This project will establish all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration. The trains are equipped with climate-specific adaptations and provide heating at sub-zero temperatures, along with defrosting elements embedded on the driver's lookout glass.
A key impact of this train would be that, moving along the Chenab Rail Bridge, it will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing the existing travel time by two to three hours.
(With inputs from multiple news reports)
