PM Modi inaugurates World’s Highest Chenab railway Arch Bridge in J&K

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s highest railway arch bridge built on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir on 6 June 2025. He was on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir, where he inaugurated/laid the foundation stones of various rail and development projects worth over 46 thousand crore rupees.

The Prime Minister dedicated these projects to the nation at a ceremony in Katra, Jammu, attended by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways; Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir; Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, and other dignitaries. 

The Chenab railway arch bridge and India’s first cable-stayed Anji Khad railway bridge are part of the Udhampur -Srinagar -Baramulla Rail Link.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra. It is the first medical college to be established in the Raesi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link. 

The rail link establishes all-weather, seamless connectivity between the Kashmir valley and the rest of the country. The project comprises the railway arch bridge on the Chenab River and the Anji Khad Bridge.

• It has been built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore.
• It is fully electrified and 272 kilometres long with 36 tunnels and 934 bridges.
• It passes through India's longest operational tunnel, T-50.
• The T-50 tunnel is 12.77 kilometres long and is located in the Khari-Sumber section. 

About the Chenab Bridge 

• The Chenab Railway Arch Bridge is the world’s tallest railway arch bridge.
• It is 359 meters above the riverbed of Chenab.
• It is 1315 meters long and has a 467-meter arch span.
• The bridge connects the Kauri and Bakkal areas of the Raesi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The bridge's lifespan is 120 years, and it was built for Rs 1,486 crore.

Anji Khad Bridge 

• The Anji Khad Bridge is India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge.
• The bridge connects the Katra Banihal section of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Line over the Anji River valley.
• The bridge is 725 meters long with a 290-meter main span.
• The bridge is 331 meters above the river bed, anchored by 96 high tensile cables.

Vande Bharat Trains 

• Prime Minister Modi also flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains- one from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar and the other from Srinagar to Katra.
• To operate in the freezing temperature of the Kashmir valley , Vande Bharat trains have been equipped with silicone heating pads and a heating plumbing pipeline,for the smooth operation of the trains. 
• The travel time between Katra and Srinagar will be reduced by nearly three hours.