Railways making efforts to connect Kashmir with train in 2-3 years: PM

Arch bridge over river Chenab in Reasi district. —Excelsior/Romesh Mengi
Arch bridge over river Chenab in Reasi district. —Excelsior/Romesh Mengi

Modi says connectivity will change future of J&K

Arch of world’s highest rail bridge completed

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Apr 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that future and scenario of Jammu and Kashmir are going to change with rail connecting Kashmir valley with rest parts of the country which the Railways is trying to complete in next two to three years.

Click here to watch video
He said this in a video message released on the occasion of construction of arch of the world’s highest railway bridge that soars 359 meters above the bed of the Chenab River in Reasi district of Jammu division, the work on which was completed today.
“The Railways is making all efforts to ensure that in next 2-3 years, the Kashmir valley is connected by rail with rest of the country,” Modi said.
He added that rail connectivity to Kashmir valley with rest of the country will change both future and scenario of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I have seen pictures of newly constructed arch bridge (over river Chenab in Reasi district). Many people would have seen these pictures on Social Media. Which citizen will not feel proud after seeing these pictures?”, the Prime Minister asked.
“This is a very proud moment for every Indian and the view of the bridge would fill every Indian’s heart with delight,” Modi said.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal watched the lowering of the closure segment of the arch by cable crane through a video link from New Delhi. Senior officers, including Ashutosh Gangal, General Manager Northern Railways and Konkan Railway Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta, attended the function held at village Kauri in Reasi district.
As the last segment was placed on the arch by a cable crane, workmen on the bridge started chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ and shook hands with each other in joy.
The construction of the arch of the world’s highest railway bridge that soars 359 meters above the bed of the Chenab River in Reasi district of Jammu region was completed today.
The Northern Railways termed the achievement as “milestone”.
The 1.3-kilometre-long bridge aims to boost connectivity to the Kashmir valley and it is being constructed at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.
The bridge, which is 35-metre higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, is expected to be completed within a year, officials said.
“It is a historic day for the Northern Railways and a milestone in the completion of the USBRL project, connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country. The project will be completed within two and a half years,” Ashutosh Gangal told reporters at the work site at village Kauri in Reasi district.
“The self-supporting arch is an engineering marvel and has brought us closer to our goal of the dream project. After the completion of the arch, we will move further, and are hopeful of completing the bridge within a year,” Gangal said.
The Railway Ministry said that the 5.6-metre last piece of metal (closure segment) was fitted at the highest point of the arch today. It joined the two arms of the arch that currently stretch towards each other from both banks of the Chenab, it added.
“This completed the shape of the arch. After completion of the arch work, removal of the stay cables, filling of the concrete in the arch rib, erection of the steel trestle, launching of the viaduct and track laying work will be taken up,” the Ministry said.
Gangal said that the construction of the bridge involves fabrication of 28,660 metric tons of steel, 10 lakh cubic meters earthwork and 66,000 cubic meters of concrete.
“The arch consists of steel boxes in which concrete will be filled to improve stability. The stay cables which are presently holding the arch will be removed as it has become self-supporting after the installation of the last piece,” he added.
He said the overall weight of the arch is 10,619 metric tons and “the erection of members of the arch by overhead cable cranes was done for the first time by the Indian Railways”.
Talking about safety measures, Gangal said the bridge was designed for blast load in consultation with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This is the first such design in the country and it can remain operational at a restricted speed of 30 kmph after removal of one pier or trestle, he said.
The bridge is designed to withstand high wind speed of up to 266 kmph and earthquake forces of highest intensity, Gangal said.
For the first time, the Indian Railways used phased array ultrasonic machines and established a NABL-accredited lab at the site for weld testing, he said.
“Approximately 584 kilometers of welding was done to join the different parts of structure, which is to the tune of distance between Jammu Tawi to New Delhi,” the Ministry said.
Chairman of the Konkan Railways Sanjay Gupta said that the real challenge was the construction of the arch which was completed today.
“Some people were apprehensive about its construction but this has finally happened with the installation of the last piece. This is the heart of this project,” he said.
On the construction of the arch, the Railways Ministry said that this was one of the most difficult part of the bridge.
“This achievement is a major leap towards the completion of the 111-km-long winding stretch from Katra to Banihal. It is arguably the biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history,” it said.
“This bridge is 1,315-metre long and is the highest railway bridge in the world being 359 meters above the river bed level. It will be 35 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris (France),” the Ministry said.
The sophisticated ‘Tekla’ software has been used for structural detailing and the structural steel is suitable for -10 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius, it added.
“Construction of bridge involved fabrication of 28,660 MT steels, 10 lakh Com Earthwork, 66,000Com Concrete and 26 kilometers motorable road. The arch consists of steel boxes. Concrete will be filled in boxes of the arch to improve stability. Overall weight of the arch is 10,619 MT,” the Railways said.
It added that erection of the members of arch by overhead cable cranes was done for the first time on Indian Railways.