The Indian Railways will soon complete the construction of two record-breaking bridges as part of its ambitious plans to connect the Kashmir valley with the railways network, marking a historic milestone in the infrastructure development of Jammu and Kashmir. The first bridge, which will be built at a height of 359 metres above the Chenab River in the Union Territory’s Reasi district (97 kilometres from Jammu), will be the world’s highest railway bridge. The second is the country’s first cable-stayed bridge, which is being constructed between Katra and Reasi town across the Anji river, a tributary of the Chenab River located 80 kilometres from Jammu. The two bridges are being constructed as part of new line work in highly complex geological terrain in the Katra-Banihal (111 km) section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project (272 km). According to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the new 327-kilometer single railway line connecting Jammu Tawi and Baramulla via Udhampur, Katra, Banihal, Qazigund, and Srinagar is expected to be operational by December or January of next year. The railway line will shorten travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by three to four hours, bringing the two regions closer together. Due to varying road widths ranging from single to two and four lanes, trucks and other vehicles currently take 9 to 10 hours to cover the 263 km distance from Jammu to Srinagar via NH 1-A.
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