Highlights
- Bridge falls on the Jammu-Baramulla railway line, one of railway's most challenging projects ever
- The Anji Khad bridge will connect Katra and Reasi section of Jammu–Baramulla line
- The track's alignment was the biggest engineering challenge ever faced
Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has shared breathtaking photos of the under-construction Anji Khad bridge, India's first cable-stayed rail bridge connecting Kashmir.
The bridge falls on the Jammu-Baramulla railway line, one of railway's most challenging projects ever, and is under construction.
The Anji Khad bridge will connect Katra and Reasi section of Jammu–Baramulla line.
Earlier, an arch bridge similar to the Chenab bridge was proposed.
The track's alignment was the biggest engineering challenge ever faced, only next to Tibet's Qingzang Railway, permafrost at 5,000 m above sea level.
To add to the list of achievements, Udampur- Sringar- Baramulla- Rail-link project (USBRL) has credited itself with a 1,315 metre-long bridge, 359 m above the riverbed of the Chenab River; and another 657-metre-long bridge over Anji Khad, 186 m above the riverbed.
For constructing the bridges Weathering Steel is used to do away with the need for painting. Situated in Reasi district, the bridge over the Chenab River is the world's highest bridge, 30 metres higher than Eiffel Tower!
In the Udhampur-Katra section the challenges are very peculiar and not previously encountered anywhere.
Indian Railways have fought the issues with steel arches, lattice girder support, and several feet of shotcrete.
As bank engines will not be used in the railway, the journey will be quicker. There will be a provision for future doubling on major bridges, and future electrification of the line. At first, the rail line will use diesel locomotives as the region lacks electric bandwidth.
The 111-km stretch between the lower Himalaya's Katra-Banihal section is also under progress at a rapid pace. It has 37 bridges of which 20 are complete, and 35 tunnels of which 27 are the main ones, and 8 are escape tunnels.
The world's most advanced and modern technologies are being used for the planning and construction of this project. At many instances, new technologies were developed and sometimes existing methods were used in innovative ways in consultation with experts from India and abroad for the execution of the project.
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