Salient Features of the Arch of the iconic Chenab Bridge
Railways complete the Arch closure of the iconic Chenab Bridge, World’s highest Railway Bridge
- The Arch looms over Chenab, flowing 359 metres below
- Arguably the biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history
- Major Leap towards completion of the Katra- Banihal section
Indian Railways today completed the Arch closure of the iconic Chenab Bridge.
Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL), set an important construction milestone today with completion of the steel arch of the iconic Chenab Bridge. This was one of the most difficult part of the bridge over Chenab. This achievement is a major leap towards the completion of the 111 k.m. 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. The 5.6-metre last piece of metal was fitted at the highest point today and joined the two arms of the arch that currently stretch towards each other from both the banks of the river. This completed the shape of the arch that will then loom over the treacherous Chenab, flowing some 359 metres below. 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 completion of the historic Arch work was also seen by Shri Piyush Goyal Minister for Railways, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Suneet Sharma, Chairman & CEO, Railway Board, Shri Ashutosh Gangal, General Manager Northern Railway through video conferencing.
Salient Features of the Arch of the iconic Chenab Bridge:
- Indian Railways is constructing the iconic Arch Bridge on River Chenab as a part of the USBRL project to connect the Kashmir valley to the rest of the nation.
- This bridge is 1315m long.
- This is the highest Railway Bridge in the world being 359m above the river bed level.
- It will be 35 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris (France).
- Construction of Bridge involved fabrication of 28,660 MT steel, 10 Lakh Cum Earthwork, 66,000 Cum Concrete and 26 Km motorable roads.
- Arch consists of steel boxes. Concrete will be filled in boxes of the Arch to improve stability.
- Overall weight of Arch is 10,619 MT.
- Erection of the members of arch by overhead cable cranes done for first time on Indian Railways.
- The most sophisticated ‘Tekla’ software used for structural detailing.
- Structural steel suitable for -10°C to 40°C temperature.
Certain features are tabulated below:
- Client: Northern Railway
- Executing Agency: M/s Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.
- Cost of Bridge: 1486 Cr.
- Contractor: M/s Chenab Bridge Project Undertaking [Ultra-AFCONS-VSL(JV)]
- Total length of bridge: 1.315km
- Number of spans: 17 nos.
- Length of Main arch span: 467m (linear); 550m (curvilinear)
- Design life of the bridge: 120 years
- Design speed: 100 kmph
- Total Steel Fabrication: 28660 MT (approx)
- Design wind speed: 266 kmph
- Designers:
a. Viaduct & Foundations: M/s WSP (Finland)
b. Arch: M/s Leonhart, Andra and Partners (Germany)
c. Foundation Protection: Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
13. Proof Consultant:
a. Foundation & Foundation Protection: M/s URS, UK
b. Superstructure of Viaduct & Arch: M/s COWI, UK
14. Slope Stability Analysis: (Independent Consultant) M/s ITASCA, USA
15. Slope Stability Analysis: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
16. Seismic Analysis: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi & Roorkee
Unique Features of This Bridge:
- Bridge designed to withstand high wind speed up to 266 Km/Hour.
- Bridge designed for blast load in consultation with DRDO for the first time in India.
- Bridge will remain operational at restricted speed of 30 Km/Hour even after removal of one pier/trestle.
- Bridge designed to bear earthquake forces of highest intensity zone-V in India.
- First time on Indian Railways, Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing machine used for testing of welds.
- First time on Indian Railways, NABL accredited lab established at site for weld testing.
- Approx. 584Km welding done to join the different parts of structure, which is to the tune of distance between Jammu Tawi to New Delhi.
- Height of cable crane’s pylon at Srinagar End is 127m, which is much taller than Qutub Minar of 72m.
- Launching of curved viaduct portion done for first time on Indian Railways using End Launching Method.
- Extensive health monitoring and warning systems planned through state of art instrumentation.
Details about ceremony of Arch Closure:
- Before closure and during launching, arch is being supported by stay cables.
- Closure includes the erection of last 8 segments (4 no. upstream and 4 no. downstream) of Arch.
- The process of arch closure started on 20 February, 2025. Before ceremony for closure of arch, 07 segments were erected in advance.
- At the time of closure of arch, segment no. WT28 was erected. This segment is at kauri end (west end) of the crown.
- Name: WT28 (upstream side top chord segment)
- Size: 5.6 m x 4.0 m x 0.98 m ( L x B x H ); Weight =18.95 MT
After the closure of the Arch, the other activities such as removal of stay cables, filling of concrete arch with self-compacting concrete, erection of trestles, launching of deck over main arch by incremental launching will be undertaken.
Progress of Important activities:
| S.No. | Activities | Scope | Completed |
| 1. | Fabrication | 28,660 MT | 28,595 MT |
| 2. | Overall Erection | 28,660 MT | 16,902 MT |
| 3. | Erection of Arch | 10,619 MT | 10,236 MT |
| 4. | Rock Bolts | 69,343 Rmt | 66,683 Rmt |
| 5. | Shotcrete | 75,061 Sqm | 73,761 sqm |
Here’s the latest on the Chenab Railway Bridge as of 2025:
Contents
🏗️ What’s the Chenab Bridge?
- A 1.315 km-long deck arch railway bridge over the Chenab River in Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir.
- Deck height: ~359 m above riverbed—35 m taller than Paris’s Eiffel Tower, making it the world’s highest railway arch bridge
- Stands as a key element of the 272 km Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), connecting Kashmir to the rest of India
🏁 Project Timeline
- Approved: Early 2000s; construction began in 2025.
- Arch closure (Golden Joint): April 2025.
- Completion: August 13, 2025
- First full trial run: June 20, 2025 — an 8-coach MEMU successfully crossed the bridge
- Inauguration for full rail use: June 6, 2025, by Prime Minister Modi. Vande Bharat services flagged off on this route during the event
🛠️ Engineering Highlights
- Built using ~30,000 tonnes of steel, with approximately 12,000 tonnes supplied by SAIL’s Bhilai plant
- Designed to resist extreme conditions: wind speeds up to 266 km/h, earthquakes up to magnitude 8, and pressure from blasts of up to 40 kg TNT
- Guaranteed operational life of ~120 years, with corrosion-resistant paint and earthquake-safe architecture
- Structural design included innovative use of cable-cranes, precision arch alignment, and real-time monitoring systems.
🎙️ Beyond the Bridge: Legal & Logistical Challenges
- Faced delays due to multiple PILs (2008–2025) challenging alignment, environmental, and safety aspects; cleared by courts only by 2025–17
- Access logistics included building temporary mule/horses routes and later permanent roads (11 km north side, 12 km south side) to transport materials
- Construction relied on advanced simulations and geotechnical modeling, notably under the guidance of Dr. G. Madhavi Latha who led critical terrain analysis and design adaptations
🔗 Strategic Significance
- The bridge enables seamless rail connectivity between Katra and Srinagar via the USBRL Project—a long-awaited link for Kashmir Valley.
- Enhances both economic growth and tourism; Vande Bharat trains now cut travel between Katra and Srinagar to under 3 hours
- Serves both civilian convenience and military logistics, especially during winter months when road access is disrupted.
📍 Quick Facts
- Height above riverbed: ~359 m
- Length: ~1.315 km, with 17 spans and a main 467 m arch
- Steel used: ~30,000 tonnes
- Wind & seismic load handling: Up to 266 km/h and magnitude-8 earthquakes
- Operationally opened: June 6, 2025, after safety trials and trials in mid‑2025
- Future prospects: Regular passenger & Vande Bharat operations over the bridge, integrated into USBRL
✅ Summary
The Chenab Railway Bridge, now officially active, is Asia’s and the world’s highest railway arch bridge, built to connect Kashmir reliably to the national network. After years of careful engineering and legal clearance, it was inaugurated in June 2025 and heralds a new era for rail travel in challenging mountainous terrains.
Let me know if you’d like details on routes using this bridge, trial schedules, or related infrastructure like the Anji Khad cable‑stayed bridge.