Watch: Railway Inspects New Railway Line On Chenab Bridge; Services To Begin Soon On 'World's 8th Wonder'

The train service between Ramban and Reasi via the colossal arch bridge over the beautiful Chenab River will start soon, according to the Northern Railway. Taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower, the Chenab Bridge is the highest single-arch railway bridge in the world, located between Bakkal and Kauri in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.

Railway officials recently conducted an extensive inspection of the newly constructed railway line and stations between Sangaldan in Ramban district and Reasi, a video of which was shared on social media.

Talking about the newly constructed bridge, Reasi Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Mahajan said, “This is an engineering marvel of the modern world. The day when the train will reach Reasi will be a game-changing day for the district. It is a proud moment for us, as our engineers have created a marvel.”

Calling it the bridge the eighth wonder of the world, he said the exact date when the train services will start on it cannot be said. “But I hope the day comes soon,” Mahajan said.

The 1,315 metre-long bridge is part of a broader project which aims to make the Kashmir valley accessible by the Indian Railway network. At present, the trains operate along the railway line from Kanyakumari to Katra, while services run from Baramulla to Sangaldan in the Kashmir Valley.

Deputy Chief Engineer, Konkan Railways, Sujay Kumar, said that the project was very challenging.

“People being affected by this project are all very happy. We hope everything will be completed soon,” he said.

About USBRL Project

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), including the 48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan section, was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on February 20, 2024. It is expected to be completed by year-end.

Out of the total 272-km USBRL project, 161 km was commissioned in phases with the first phase 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009 followed by 18-km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013 and 25-km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014.

The work on the project, which is the most challenging railway infrastructure project being undertaken post-independence, was started in 1997 and has missed several deadlines amid huge cost escalations.