Srinivas, the Bureau Chief of a Telugu daily newspaper from Andhra Pradesh, hopes to get his 80-year-old mother to seek the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra, a popular pilgrimage site in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The frail octogenarian also looks forward to fulfilling her long-cherished desire to soak in the beauty of Kashmir, which she has long watched in films.

Sharing his dream journey with The Voices, Srinivas said other people like him look forward to visiting the shrine. The world’s highest rail bridge and the world’s highest arch bridge- the impressive Chenab Bridge – built over the deep gorge of Chenab shall facilitate this dream come true. People could now visit places without undertaking the tedious road journey marred by landslides and other vagaries of weather. He awaits the Vande Bharat train, which is scheduled to run soon on the impressive Chenab Bridge. Chenab Bridge is the most important element of the USBRL Project. The Voices brings glimpses of the road less travelled in part two of a trilogy.

As Indian Railways continue to amaze the global engineering world with its marvels, its arch bridge Chenab emerges as one of the latest feathers in the cap. Making inroads into the impossible terrains of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Railways aim to connect Kashmir with Kanyakumari, traversing 3000 km. With the Chenab Bridge project completed, the valley awaits higher tourist footfall, better trades for handicrafts craftsmanship, and newer business destinations.

Constructed over 20 years at a whopping Rs.1486 Crore, the project stands tall, towering, becoming the spine of the track connecting Kashmir with Kanyakumari. This impressive Chenab bridge has already found a niche as ‘taller than the Eiffel Tower’. An iconic engineering marvel, the arch bridge over the Chenab River, is located on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line.

Nidhi Pandey Singh, Public Relations Officer, Northern Railways told The Voices that the Chenab Bridge (Bridge-44) with a total length of 1.315 Km is one of the longest of the 931 bridges on Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line. The length of all bridges put together is 13 Km.

Chenab Bridge Ushers In Change

The completion of the Chenab Bridge is a testament to the courage, determination, and hard work of the Indian people who have dreamt of connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The bridge has been erected, braving all the odds, including steep terrain and extreme weather.

The execution of this magnanimous project has not been easy, say railway officials. A lot of planning was done before the execution could commence. The work was accomplished after hard work; it is now a dream come true for everyone who worked on the project.

Challenging Project

The Chenab Bridge is located on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project, popularly known as the USBRL project. What started as an alternative and reliable all-weather transportation system for Jammu and Kashmir was declared a national project in 2002.

Nidhi said that in 2013, the arch erection method on Chenab Bridge changed. The initial plan for designing the approach bridge—a conventional steel girder bridge—was executed using a cable crane. The erection method of the superstructure in the arch span was also changed. Originally, deck segments were planned to be lifted by a derrick lift and bolted together. In the new method, the superstructure was planned to be welded continuously behind the abutments and launched over the steel piers.

Project In-Charge (Chenab), R R Mallik told The Voices this is one of the fastest constructions of the superstructure once the work started. All the safety features demanded by the project of such importance are in place including the CCTV surveillance cameras.

Challenges

The construction was done while considering the challenges and difficult terrain the Himalayan region posed. This is one of the most challenging works taken up by Indian Railways in the post-independence era. Geological instability brought interruptions requiring a revised alignment. 

Built to Last

Project In-Charge (Chenab) R R Mallik said while talking to The Voices that Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd undertook the construction of this bridge. It had been a tough terrain to work on, especially given that the deck is 359 metres above the river bed, with the central arch spanning 467 metres (linear) and 550 metres (curvilinear).

He added that each arch’s foundation is about a quarter of a football field. At this altitude, the arch has a 120-year lifespan and can resist winds up to 266 kmph. The train’s speed on the bridge can be up to 100 kmph. Sensors are placed on the bridge to continuously monitor the load and stress caused by temperature variations.

Helping the Locals

“Even before the construction of the bridge, we had to lay a 26-kilometre approach road and a 400-metre tunnel to reach the site. These roads now help the locals. For this project, our team had to deal with the most extreme weather and heights. Around 2200 people worked on the bridge, and not even a single accident on the site has been reported, which reminds us of our safety first always motto,” R. R. Mallik added.

Uplifting the People

Harnam Singh, a local worker, is proud to have worked on the Chenab Bridge project. He opines that the bridge will make the lives of locals easier, as better rail connectivity would mean easier travel. There are about 19 trains from Katra to Udhampur and eight from Baramulla to Banihal/Sangaldan. The Chenab Bridge will connect Sangaldan in Ramban District to Reasi and drastically reduce travel time. When the last section is operational, more trains will run end-to-end from Katra to Baramulla.

Bringing Down Carbon Footprint

Nidhi Pandey Singh, Northern Railway’s Public Relations Officer, says that the 136 km Banihal-Baramulla section has been electrified, and trains will now run on electric power. This will phase out the use of fossil fuels in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region while reducing the carbon footprint. Indian Railways is a sustainable and eco-friendly mass transportation system.

She adds that the Chenab Bridge is very strategic for connecting Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country. With the Commissioner of Railway Safety Inspections and the Vande Bharat trials completed, India will soon be connected.

Copy Editor: Vishnu Sharmaa