Jammu: Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Chenab railway bridge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, hailed as the world’s tallest rail bridge.
After landing at the Indian Air Force station in Udhampur, the Prime Minister flew to the Chenab bridge site to formally open the engineering marvel. This was his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after Operation Sindoor—a military operation carried out across the border in retaliation to the Pahalgam attack in April, which claimed 26 lives.
Standing 359 metres above the riverbed—35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower—the Chenab railway arch bridge is part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. The structure, constructed across the Chenab River, connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India by rail, a feat long seen as crucial for regional integration and economic development.
Standing 359 metres above the riverbed—35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower—the Chenab railway arch bridge is part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project
During the event, Modi viewed an exhibition detailing the USBRL project and interacted with key figures including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Union Minister Jitendra Singh. He also spent time speaking with engineers, labourers, and officials who worked on the massive infrastructure undertaking.
The USBRL project, which has been executed at an estimated cost of ₹43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 km and 943 bridges. Its completion ensures all-weather rail connectivity between Kashmir and other parts of the country—an engineering feat with significant strategic and developmental implications.
Describing the development as transformative, the Prime Minister said the new rail link would revolutionize mobility, bring economic prosperity, and improve the standard of living for the people of Kashmir.
In addition to the Chenab bridge, Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, the Anji bridge. He will also flag off two Vande Bharat Express trains between Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar, officially completing the entire 272-km USBRL stretch.
As part of a broader push to improve infrastructure in border regions, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate a series of road and traffic development projects. These include the widening of the Rafiabad-Kupwara stretch on NH-701, the construction of a bypass on NH-444 at Shopian, and flyovers at Sangrama and Bemina junctions in Srinagar.
