In Pics: Railways' Successful Trial Run On World's Highest Chenab Bridge In Kashmir

A trial run of the MEMU train (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) on the newly completed Electrified Line Section (Reasi-Sangaldan) with a route length of 46 km on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link (USBRL) project was conducted today at 40 kmph. It was completed successfully, beginning at 12:35 p.m. from Sangaldan and ending at 14:05 p.m. in Reasi. It ran through nine tunnels totaling 40.787 km, including the longest tunnel, T-44, at 11.13 km. 

The first full train crossed the renowned bridge between Dugga and Bakkal stations across the Chenab River, the world's highest railway bridge with a centre span of 467 metres and a height of 359 metres.

The Reasi, Bakkal, Dugga, and Sawlakote stations are located in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. This section's railway electrification was completed using cutting-edge technology, ROCS (Rigid Overhead Conductor System) at 25 kV, for the first time on Indian Railways.

Currently, trains travel along the railway route from Kanyakumari to Katra, with services running from Baramulla to Sangaldan in the Kashmir Valley. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is scheduled to be finished by the end of the year.

The first phase of the project, which covered 118 km from Qazigund to Baramulla, began in October 2009. In subsequent phases, the 18-kilometer Banihal-Qazigund stretch was inaugurated in June 2013, followed by the 25-kilometer Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014.

The Chenab Rail Bridge, built 359 metres (109 feet) above the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, is approximately 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. The 1,315-metre-long bridge is part of a larger project aimed at making the Kashmir valley accessible via the Indian Railway network.