History of Chenab Bridge: World’s Highest Railway Arch Bridge

Engineering Marvel: Key Features of the Chenab Bridge

• Record-Breaking Height: At 359 meters, it's the tallest railway bridge globally, eclipsing the Eiffel Tower.
• Expansive Length: Spanning 1,315 meters, with a main arch of 467 meters, it ranks among the world's longest railway arches.
• Robust Construction: Utilizes approximately 30,000 metric tons of special steel, designed to withstand earthquakes, extreme temperatures, and winds up to 260 km/h.
• Longevity: Engineered for a lifespan of 120 years, ensuring durability for generations.
• Safety Innovations: Equipped with sensors to monitor wind velocity; train operations halt if speeds exceed 90 km/h.
• Strategic Significance: Enhances connectivity in a geopolitically sensitive region, bolstering national integration and security.

• More than 130 years ago, the idea of connecting the Kashmir Valley by rail first took shape under the rule of the Dogra dynasty.
• Maharaja Pratap Singh, who ruled from 1885 to 1925, envisioned a railway line piercing through the Himalayan terrain, an audacious dream at a time when engineering technology was still catching up to nature's extremes.
• What began as an ambitious proposal in the late 19th century is finally becoming reality in 2025?

• In March 1892, Maharaja Pratap Singh of Dogra dynasty formally proposed the railway link and commissioned British engineers to survey the region’s rugged landscape.
• By June 1898, engineering firm S. R. Scott Stratten and Co. was roped in for the task. Over the next 11 years, three separate survey reports were prepared, but two were eventually dismissed due to impracticalities.
• One of the earliest proposals, submitted by D. A. Adam suggested a narrow-gauge electric railway with steam engines. However, the steep elevations made it unfeasible.
• The only plan that received approval was one by an engineer named Wild Blood, who suggested aligning the track along the Chenab River via the Reasi region.
• Later ideas to power trains through hydroelectric stations near Udhampur, Ramsu, and Banihal were also explored but ultimately scrapped.

In December 1923, the Dogra dynasty took another step toward realizing their vision by restarting a coal extraction project with the help of British firm S. R. Scott Stratten and Co. But the momentum didn’t last long. Following the death of Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1925 and the growing Indian independence movement, the ambitious railway plan lost its royal patronage and was quietly shelved. What had started as a bold vision came to a standstill, leaving the idea untouched for nearly sixty years.

It wasn’t until 1983 that the project found new life. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi reignited the dream by laying the foundation stone for the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar railway line. The plan sounded promising, with a five-year completion target and an estimated cost of just ₹50 crore. However, reality had other plans. Over the next 13 years, despite all the effort, only 11 km of track were completed. That short stretch alone involved the construction of 19 tunnels and 11 bridges, highlighting just how challenging the terrain really was.

The larger Udhampur-Katra-Baramulla Railway Project officially began in the late 1990s, with Prime Ministers H. D. Deve Gowda and I. K. Gujral laying multiple foundation stones in 1996 and 1997 across Udhampur, Qazigund, and Baramulla.

Construction kicked off in 1997, but it was far from smooth sailing. The unforgiving Himalayan geology, unpredictable weather, and complex terrain kept stalling progress. What began with a budget of ₹2,500 crore eventually escalated to a staggering ₹43,800 crore due to repeated delays and engineering hurdles.

Recognizing its strategic and national significance, the Indian government declared the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) a national project in 2002. Since then, progress has picked up steadily. Out of the planned 272 km, 209 km have already been completed and made operational in different phases:

• Qazigund to Baramulla (2009)
• Banihal to Qazigund (2013)
• Udhampur to Katra (2014)