PM unveils world's tallest railway bridge on Chenab river

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab river, which was completed at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore in more than eight years.

- TDG NETWORK

The prime minister then walked on the bridge holding the tricolour.

After the Chenab bridge, Modi inaugurated India's first cable-stayed rail bridge over the river Anji.

Before the inauguration, Modi travelled in a rail engine coach to reach the spot.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were present on the occasion.

The architectural marvel Chenab rail bridge, situated at a height of 359 metres above the river and 35 metres higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions.

The bridge forms a crucial link in the 111-km stretch from Katra to Banihal, and its construction was approved in 2002, but the work started only in 2017.