World record: The highest railway bridge over the Chenab opens!

World record: The highest railway bridge over the Chenab opens!

The Chenab Bridge in Kashmir is now officially the highest railway bridge in the world. After decades of construction, it was inaugurated for rail traffic on June 6, 2025. This majestic bridge spans the Chenab River at a height of 359 meters and towers over the Eiffel Tower in Paris by 29 meters.

With an impressive span of 467 meters of the central steel arch, the Chenab Bridge is one of the largest arch bridges in the world. The entire structure stretches over 1,315 meters and consists of an approach bridge of 530 meters and a 785 meter long arch bridge. It is located between Kauri and Bakkal stations on the Jammu–Baramulla line.

Construction history and technical details

The Jammu-Baramulla Railway Project, intended to promote economic connectivity between Jammu and the Kashmir Valley, was launched back in the late 1970s. However, the foundation stone for the bridge was not laid until 1983, and actual construction began in the 1990s. The construction contract was awarded to a joint venture between Indian companies and a South Korean company.

The Chenab Bridge was constructed at a cost of ₹14.86 billion (approximately US$180 million). The construction was led by Rajendra Kumar Kalbande, the former director of the Konkan Railway Corporation. The base supports were already completed in November 2017, and the arch construction was completed by April 2021.

The bridge was designed to withstand extreme conditions, including earthquakes up to magnitude 8 on the Richter scale, high intensity explosions, as well as temperatures as low as −20°C and wind speeds of up to 266 km/h. The bridge's lifespan is estimated at 120 years and it is designed for speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph).

Construction and use of materials

An impressive amount of material was used to build the bridge: around 28,660 tons of steel, 66,000 m³ of concrete and 84 kilometers of bolts and cables. The structure received a special corrosion-resistant paint that has a lifespan of around 15 years. The planning process was supported by WSP Finland, Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner and Vienna Consulting Engineers.

Track laying on the bridge began in February 2023, and the first test runs took place in June 2024. Full completion of the bridge was announced in August 2022. The Chenab Bridge represents not only a national project, but also a significant infrastructure project to support economic activity in the region. It is therefore expected to have a significant impact on mobility in the Kashmir Valley.

Further information about the bridge can be found on the standard and Wikipedia be read.