From mules to machines: How iconic Chenab bridge was built

At 359 metres high, it is a marvel born from grit, cliffs and bold engineering

- BY STEPHEN N.R.

In the early days, there were no roads — only cliffs, foot trails and mules.

Survey teams camped on Himalayan ledges under freezing skies, hauling equipment by hand and hoof, inching toward a dream once thought impossible: Laying railway tracks through one of India’s most unforgiving terrains.

Taller than Eiffel Tower

Two decades later, that dream stands realised in steel and stone. The Chenab Bridge, soaring 359 metres above the river it is named after, is now the highest railway bridge in the world — towering 35 metres above the Eiffel Tower in Paris.