By Sushant Agarwal
Published on | Jun 06, 2025
PM Modi on June 6, 2025, inaugurated the Chenab Railway Bridge, marking a historic milestone in India’s railway engineering and Kashmir connectivity.
Standing 359 mtrs above the Chenab River, this arch bridge surpasses the height of Eiffel Tower, making it the tallest railway bridge in the world.
The bridge is a key link in the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of India.
Spanning 272 km, the USBRL project aims to bring uninterrupted train connectivity to Jammu & Kashmir—bridging challenging terrain.
Measuring 1,315 metres (1.31 km), this mammoth structure is not just tall, but also one of the longest railway arch bridges globally.
Constructed at a cost of ₹1,486 crore, the bridge is a part of the ₹43,780 crore USBRL mega project—a landmark in Indian railway engineering.
Made with 28,660 mega tonnes of steel, the bridge can withstand temperatures from sub-zero to 40°C—built to last generations.
The most sophisticated ‘Tekla’ software was used for structural detailing, enabling high precision in design and execution.
For the first time in India, a railway bridge is made using blast-resistant steel and concrete—ready to face earthquakes & high winds up to 266 km/h.
Rail link to Kashmir was planned in the 1970s. Construction finally started in 2017 after decades of planning, clearances, and access road building.
Before construction began, 26 km of approach roads and a 400-metre tunnel were built just to reach the remote site—a feat in itself.
This bridge will end over 70 years of waiting, enabling the first-ever direct train service from the rest of India to the Kashmir Valley.