By Dr Anand Kumar Srivastava
“The Chenab Bridge is more than just an engineering marvel, it’s a symbol of India’s ambition, resilience, and progress.”
Prime Minister Modi handed over the Chenab Rail Bridge to the nation on 6 June 2025. It is a marvellous and ambitious project of Indian engineering symbolising the aspirations and spirit of modern India. This bridge has fulfilled the long-awaited dream of connecting the Kashmir region with the rest of India. It is the highest bridge ever made, and its height is 359 metres above the riverbed of the Chenab River. It is thirty-five metres higher than the world-famous Eiffel Tower. The bridge is located between Kauri and Bakkal railway stations on the Jammu and Baramulla line.
This bridge can withstand massive earthquakes and 266 km per hour speed of wind. About three hundred highly qualified and skilled engineers and thirteen hundred workers worked hard to accomplish this project of a broad-gauge railway line. The total cost of this splendid project is Rs 1486 crore (US $ 180 million).
The Government of India initiated the plan of its construction in the mid-1970s. The foundation stone was laid in 1983 and the project work started in mid-1990. The project was finally completed in 2022. In fact, it was completed in stages as it was not possible to complete the whole project or the entire work in one instalment. The first trial was done in 2024.
Major characteristics of the project are given below:
Design Deck arch bridge
Material: Iron (steel) & concrete
Total length 1315 mts (4, 14 ft)
Width: 13.5 mts
Height: 359 mts (1178 ft).
Longest Span: 467 mts (1,532ft)
Total No of Spans – 17
Tunnels- 36 (spanning 119 KM)
Estimated life span is 120 years
Maximum Speed of train – 100 KM per hour.
The Chenab River Railway Bridge project falls under the administration of Northern Railways, but Konkan Railway Corporation Limited was selected as the executive agency because it had already done several projects of this type. M/s Chenab Bridge Project Undertaking was offered the contract, which is a joint venture between Afcon Infrastructure, Ultra Construction & Engineering Company of South Korea and VSL India. The design of the bridge is according to international standards and all precautions were taken before declaring it completed because of the challenging intricacy of the terrain.
JK has witnessed terror attacks repeatedly in the last few decades. Hence, the structure of the bridge is very strong and made of blast proof steel. It can also bear the shocks of earthquakes and other natural calamities.
This bridge is another significant milestone achieved on completion of 75 years of Independence. It also symbolises that India is now connected by a railway network from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Since independence, it has been a long-cherished dream of the nation to connect Kashmir with rest of India through a railway network. This bridge will be instrumental in bringing peace and prosperity to Jammu and Kashmir as it will promote both tourism and trade. The apples of JK will be easily and quickly transported to the rest of India and it will increase the income of farmers who work around the year in the hope of earning enough money for their families. In fact, this project has been declared a national project by the government because it will help to improve the economy and lifestyle of local people. If tourism is promoted, it opens many new opportunities for employment. Such initiatives are much needed in the valley of JK to make the people feel proud Indians.
The timing of the inauguration of this bridge is very significant. When the nation was in a state of shock and anger after the attack of militants in Pahalgam, such a venture proved that the spirit of new India is high, and no one can stop our progress and new ventures. It was a beautiful sight to see PM Modi, the Lt Governor of J&K, CM Omar Abdullah, Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw and other dignitaries walking proudly and gracefully on the bridge with our national flag in their hands at the time of the inauguration ceremony. All this was a bold announcement by India of its deep sense of commitment and dedication for a better and promising future for the citizens of Kashmir.
“That is not just governance. It is political will translated into steel.”
In conclusion, we can say that the Chenab Railway Bridge is the symbol of India’s zeal and commitment to progress and prosperity. It is a significant milestone achieved in the welfare of the people of J&K. It is hoped that such an initiative will promote the economy of the region and provide numerous opportunities for employment.
“What Kashmir needs is not just infrastructure. It needs empathy. It needs restoration. It needs a political imagination that moves from managing resentment to enabling partnership.”
(The writer is Principal, DAV Inter College Dehradun)
