World’s highest railway bridge to open in Kashmir quickly | Infrastructure Information

In the course of the mighty Himalayas in Indian-administered Kashmir lies the world’s highest railway bridge.

The bridge over the Chenab River – 1,315-metre-long (4,314 toes) and 359-metre-high (1,177 toes) from the mattress of the river – will hyperlink the distant area with India’s huge railway community by offering all-weather connectivity.

On the peak of the winter, a big a part of the disputed area is lower off from the remainder of India.

The bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, lies between the villages of Bakkal and Kauri in Reasi district of the southern Jammu space of Kashmir.

Constructed at a value of $168m, the bridge is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Hyperlink venture (USBRL), which can join the area’s essential metropolis of Srinagar with mainland India by rail networks on which work began in 1999.

Engineering marvel

The arch bridge, product of 28,000 tonnes of metal, is taken into account an engineering marvel as it’s in-built an space susceptible to excessive seismic exercise. The tough and uneven terrain additionally sees frequent landslides and harsh climate circumstances.

The 119km-long (73 miles) railway venture includes 38 tunnels and 931 bridges having a mixed size of 13km (8 miles) to make the railway hyperlink doable.

Previous to its building, the engineers needed to make a 26km (19 miles) strategy street and a 400-metre-long (1,300 toes) tunnel to achieve the location of the bridge.

Whereas inspecting the completion of the bridge final month, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s railway minister, conceded that it was essentially the most troublesome engineering problem for the division.

“This bridge and the opposite tunnels had been troublesome as a result of this entire space is extremely seismic susceptible space. To strengthen it from any seismic exercise particular strengthening know-how has been used,” the minister stated.

Misgivings over the much-delayed venture had been addressed when the minister stated the railway connectivity to Srinagar shall be accomplished by December this yr or January subsequent yr.

Nature’s pristine magnificence acts as an ideal backdrop for this glorious engineering feat.

📍Chenab Bridge, Reasi- Jammu & Kashmir 🌁#NayeBharatKiNayiRail pic.twitter.com/QymhBHLxxQ

— Darshana Jardosh (@DarshanaJardosh) April 26, 2023

The bridge, official paperwork say, has been constructed to face up to robust winds and high-magnitude earthquakes.

It took 20 years for 1000’s of employees and a whole bunch of engineers to finish the feat.

“This venture has been essentially the most daunting work undertaken by post-independence Indian Railways,” an engineer engaged on the venture advised Al Jazeera.

He didn’t disclose his title as he was not authorised to talk to the media.

“The completion of the bridge additionally reveals huge development in India’s engineering know-how,” he added.

Lengthy-awaited connectivity

There isn’t a direct rail hyperlink between the Kashmir Valley and mainland  India.

The present railway line operating by the valley carries native passengers from the area’s Baramulla district within the north to Banihal in Ramban district of the Jammu space.

The brand new rail bridge will join Kashmir Valley with Katra in Jammu, lowering the journey time by 5 to 6 hours from Katra to Srinagar.

It’s due to this fact a vital a part of the Indian Railways venture to attach the valley with the remainder of India, which is thus far depending on street networks.

The Srinagar-Jammu freeway which is the one street connectivity between Kashmir and mainland India is usually blocked on account of heavy snowfall throughout winters, landslides and avalanches. Visitors on the route will get caught for days, making folks and commerce endure.

The treacherous street susceptible to accidents has additionally claimed many lives. Final yr, no less than 648 street accidents happened on the street, resulting in 93 deaths, in keeping with the info from the federal Ministry of Street Transport and Highways.

Inch by inch, traversed the large Chenab!
Catch a glimpse of the timeline of the construction that stands tall now because the fruits of many years of improvement: the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/3ItpylIltR

— JAMMU LINKS NEWS (@JAMMULINKS) April 20, 2023

Native residents say that folks from totally different components of India go to the location to see the bridge.

“This bridge gave employment to many locals who labored there for years. It has turn out to be a vacationer spot,” Gulzar Khan, 36, a resident of Khurru village in Reasi, advised Al Jazeera.

Javed Ahmad Tenga, head of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), a union of merchants within the area, advised Al Jazeera the rail connectivity will propel the area’s commerce.

“The costs of transportation of products will cut back. This can profit the enterprise neighborhood. By street, it takes loads of time for issues to achieve right here. It would strengthen the fruit enterprise as properly,” Tenga stated.

Native apprehensions

Nevertheless, many Kashmiris concern the prepare connectivity would assimilate the disputed area additional into mainland India. They concern the venture would have an effect on the demography of India’s solely Muslim-majority area.

The fears stem from the 2019 abrogation of Kashmir’s restricted autonomy by the Hindu nationalist authorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and bringing it underneath New Delhi’s direct management.

Among the many many modifications the transfer introduced was permitting non-Kashmiris to completely settle within the area and begin companies.

“This railway will facilitate connectivity however we’re additionally nervous that there shall be a rush of non-locals to the area. Anybody who desires to return right here will board the prepare,” stated Khursheed Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar.

Final month, the federal government advised the parliament that 185 non-locals had purchased land in Kashmir whereas 1,559 firms had invested within the area.

In 2020, just one non-local had purchased land within the area, in keeping with authorities information.

Being some of the militarised areas on the planet, enhanced railway connectivity can even remodel the safety state of affairs with straightforward mobilisation of provides, troops and gear.

“The prepare will assist in bringing logistics and shares for the military to Kashmir,” DS Hooda, former northern commander of the Indian Military, advised Al Jazeera.

Kashmiri tutorial and political analyst Siddiq Wahid stated the railway connectivity would imply better management over the area.

“This can assist economically little doubt. Definitely, ecologically trains are higher than roads. Connectivity shall be an enormous help to New Delhi by way of management. I believe that’s their ambition,” he advised Al Jazeera.