​Connecting bridge: on Kashmir, India and the Chenab Rail Bridge

'Kashmir to Kanniyakumari' is a figurative expression to denote the geographical expanse of India, from its northernmost point to its southern tip, and for the first time in history these are connected by rail. With the inauguration of the 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project which has been 28 years in the making, the Kashmir Valley has been connected to the national rail network. The tough, unsurmountable topography of the Himalayas challenged the engineering capabilities of the Indian Railways, but it has come out with flying colours. The engineering marvel, the Chenab Rail Bridge, that stands 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower, is the world's highest railway arch bridge at 359 metres above the riverbed. Spanning 1,315 m, it will endure wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour and has been built to last 120 years. Nearby, the Anji Khad Bridge, rises boldly across the rugged terrain as India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. Towering 331 m above the riverbed and stretching 725 m across, it is anchored by 96 high-tensile cables; 8,200 metric tonnes of structural steel went into its construction. Built at a cost of ₹43,780 crore, the USBRL link witnessed drilling of mountains to set up 36 tunnels that span 119 kilometres and 943 bridges through ridges and mountain passes.
Kashmir's decades of geographical isolation have finally come to an end. The Vande Bharat Express between Srinagar in the Kashmir region and Katra in the Jammu region, which was also flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cuts the surface journey to three hours between the two points. Later this year, a scheduled direct train service between the national capital New Delhi and Srinagar will allow commuters to touch base in just 13 hours compared to over 24 hours in the past. The Vande Bharat Express, a long-distance high-speed service, is bound to end the psychological barriers, multiply the development dividend and act as a game changer for the economy of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The train service has brought renewed hope to the region not long after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 pushed India and Pakistan to a short conflict. India's 'Operation Sindoor', against terror infrastructure across the border, saw Pakistan ending the ceasefire agreement and targeting civilians, leaving 18 dead and over 1,500 houses damaged. While inaugurating the train service in Katra, Mr. Modi rightly described the rail link as 'a symbol of a new, empowered J&K'. The bridge will go a long way to bring the people of Kashmir closer to the rest of India.

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