Prime Minister inaugurated the World’s highest railway arch bridge (Chenab Rail Bridge) over the Chenab River and the Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge over the Anji River, a tributary of the Chenab.
On June 6, 2025, India unveiled the Chenab Rail Bridge, a monumental feat of engineering that now holds the title of the world’s highest railway bridge. Spanning the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, this bridge not only surpasses the Eiffel Tower in height but also symbolizes India’s prowess in infrastructure development.
➡ Chenab or Chandrabhaga is the largest tributary of the Indus, formed by two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which join at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh.
About Chenab Rail Bridge
- Height and Length: 359 metres above Chenab and 1,315 metres long.
- Key Features: Steel Arch Bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions.
➡ Enhance connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. Both the Anji and Chenab Bridges are part of the Udhampur Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.
🌉 Key Specifications
- Height: 359 meters (1,178 feet) above the Chenab Riverbed
- Total Length: 1,315 meters (4,314 feet)
- Main Span: 467 meters (1,532 feet)
- Design: Cable-supported single-arch bridge
- Material Used: Approximately 29,000 metric tonnes of steel, with 12,000 tonnes supplied by SAIL’s Bhilai Steel Plant
- Construction Time: Nearly eight years, overcoming significant legal and environmental challenges
🛠 Engineering Feats
- The Chenab Rail Bridge is a testament to advanced engineering:
- Structural Design: Features a two-ribbed arch with prefabricated steel boxes filled with concrete
- Safety Features: Designed to withstand wind speeds up to 266 km/h, seismic activity up to magnitude 8, and high-intensity blasts equivalent to 40 tonnes of TNT
- Monitoring Systems: Equipped with over 120 sensors to monitor structural health, environmental conditions, and vibrations
🚆 Strategic and Economic Impact
- Part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), the Chenab Rail Bridge enhances connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India. The USBRL project, covering 324 km, reduces travel time between Jammu and Srinagar from seven hours to three. This improvement is expected to boost tourism, agriculture, and trade in the region.
🌍 A Global Attraction
- The Chenab Rail Bridge has become a significant landmark, attracting both train passengers and aerial tourists. Pilots of flights over the region often make special announcements, prompting passengers to capture the breathtaking views of the bridge.
🧑🔧 Meet the Engineer Behind the Project
- Madhavi Latha, a distinguished engineer, played a pivotal role in the construction of the Chenab Bridge. Her leadership and expertise were instrumental in overcoming the challenging terrain and extreme conditions during the bridge’s construction.