The Indian Railways successfully conducted a train trial run on the newly constructed Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge connecting Sangaldan in Ramban district to Reasi. The trial run was completed on Sunday, June 16, with an electric engine successfully crossing the bridge. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the successful trial run and stated that most construction works for the USBRL project are nearly completed, with only tunnel No. 1 left partially unfinished.
As the project nears completion, the Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS) is scheduled to conduct a two-day inspection of the Sangaldan-Reasi section on June 27 and 28. Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, Deepak Kumar, assured that all necessary work would be finished before the inspection. The USBRL project, spanning 272 km, has faced challenges due to complex geological and topographical conditions.
Since its inception in 1997, 209 km of the route has been completed in phases. The remaining 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra is expected to be finished by year-end, connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country by rail. Sources within the Railways suggest that the inaugural train between Sangaldan and Reasi is set to start on June 30 after the successful trial run.
Last month, General Manager of Northern Railway, Shobhan Chaudhuri, inspected the Chenab Bridge and the Bakkal-Duggar-Sawalkote-Sangaldan section to assess the progress of the project. Union Minister Jitendra Singh also announced the upcoming train service from Ramban to Reasi via the Chenab Rail Bridge, highlighting the importance of the USBRL project which is on track to be completed by year-end. Standing at 359 meters above the riverbed, the Chenab Rail Bridge plays a critical role in the project and is 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower.