Vande Bharat reaches 100 kmph on world’s highest railway bridge

Jammu: The Vande Bharat train has, for the first time, operated at nearly 100 kmph on the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, officials said on Thursday.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, Uchit Singhal, said the Railway Ministry has approved increasing the maximum permissible speed on the Katra-Banihal rail section to 100 kmph. The move is expected to cut travel time and improve connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir.

According to officials, the revised speed limit applies to the 111-km new broad-gauge rail section between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Banihal under the Jammu Division of Northern Railway.

Earlier, trains were permitted to operate at up to 85 kmph on the Katra-Sangaldan section and 75 kmph between Sangaldan and Banihal. Northern Railway said the speed enhancement was cleared after all prescribed safety requirements were met.

Singhal said the higher speed would offer passengers quicker, safer and more comfortable journeys while supporting tourism, trade and other economic activities in the region.

The change is also expected to further reduce travel time between Katra and Banihal.

The Chenab Rail Bridge, which spans the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, rises 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the riverbed, making it about 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. The 1,315-metre-long steel-and-concrete arch bridge has been engineered to withstand strong winds and earthquakes.

The bridge forms part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a major railway project connecting the Jammu region with the Kashmir Valley. The newly constructed portion of the project covers about 272 km, while the full rail connectivity from Jammu to Baramulla spans roughly 324-345 km, depending on the junctions used for measurement.