India Chenab Bridge, located at an altitude of 359 m above the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, is expected to be operational by late December 2023 or January 2024.
Chenab railway bridge spans the river of the same name. Photo: CNN
The 1,315-meter-long bridge is part of a larger project to bring rail connectivity into the Kashmir Valley. In addition to the Chenab Bridge, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway (USBRL) project also includes the country's longest tunnel and the first cable-stayed bridge on Indian Railways, according to CNN .
For Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, investing in infrastructure like the Chenab Bridge and the USBRL project is a useful way to strengthen social cohesion, connecting remote areas to major cities. Connecting Kashmir to the rest of India by rail would bolster industrial and agricultural development in the region.
Previously, the only road link between Kashmir and the rest of the country was the winding 300-kilometer Srinagar-Jammu highway, which was closed in winter and prone to accidents, said Anil Kumar Mehendru, vice president of the New Kashmir Fruit Association. Sushant Singh, a fellow at the Center for Policy Research in India, said it would take time to see whether the railway bridge would have a positive impact on Kashmir.
Although the USBRL project was launched in 2002 before Modi became prime minister , the Chenab Bridge is a key example of his efforts to expand the country’s development. Since taking office, Modi has increased the USBRL budget by nearly $100 million to speed up the completion of the bridge after years of delays.
India is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in modernizing its infrastructure. In February 2023, Modi inaugurated the first section of a 1,386-km expressway connecting the capital New Delhi to the financial hub of Mumbai. The 246-km stretch alone cost $1.4 billion. Construction is also underway on the Western Freight Corridor, which will ease the strain on India’s rail network.
An Khang (According to CNN )
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