The world’s highest single-arch rail bridge is set to connect the valley region in Indian-administered Kashmir with the rest of the country by train for the first time.
It took more than 20 years for the Indian railways to finish the bridge over the River Chenab in the Reasi district of Jammu.
The showpiece infrastructure project is 35m taller than the Eiffel Tower and the first train on the bridge is set to run soon between Bakkal and Kauri areas.
The bridge is part of a 272km (169 miles) all-weather railway line that will pass through Jammu, ultimately going all the way to the Kashmir valley (there is no definite timeline yet for the completion). Currently, the road link to Kashmir valley is often cut off during winter months when heavy snowfall leads to blockages on the highway from Jammu.
Experts say the new railway line will give India a strategic advantage along the troubled border region.
Besides the engineering complications, the railways had to design a blast-proof structure. Afcons claims the bridge can withstand a strong “explosion of up to 40kg of TNT” and trains would continue to ply, albeit at slower speeds, even if there was damage or a pillar was knocked out.
Experts say that enabling all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir valley could give the region’s economy a much-needed boost.
Poor connectivity during winter months has been a major bugbear for the valley’s largely farm-dependent businesses.
