It's susceptible to debate about one of the toughest engineering challenges taken by Railways while planning to complete the Chenab bridge in Jammu and Kashmir by 2016, making it the world's highest rail bridge.

While speaking about bridge, it will be the arch-shaped bridge across Chenab river-bed in Reasi district, which will be five times the height of Qutab Minar at 359 m above river bed, will connect Baramulla and Srinagar to Jammu via Udhampur-Katra-Qazigund covering the entire route in about seven hours.

As a matter of fact the ambitious project is finally beginning to take shape with the construction of pillars on either side after overcoming the state of being a victim to various issues such as its alignment, feasibility and also security concerns.

According to CAO of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project, B D Garg, they plan to complete the project by December 2016, which will be a year before the entire Udhampur-Baramulla stretch is commissioned.

To say more, the 1,315-m-long engineering wonder would boast of several unique features to include, that the design would ensure that it withstands blast and seismic activities, while the signaling arrangements would ensure the train does not encounter high wind velocity at that height. Moreover, Anemometer has been provided at the bridge site which will measure wind speed at the bridge site, and will interlock train movement over the bridge automatically if there is any wind above the prescribed speed. In fact, trains can cruise at 100 kmph on the structure, which would have a life span of 120 years. Moreover, as the bridge could prove capable from the security point of view, the design has been made such that even if an element is removed from the structure, traffic could still remain open, running at a restricted speed of 30 kmph.

According to Mr. Garg, if one of the columns gives way, the deck would not collapse rather it would be possible to restore the bridge for normal operation after carrying out required repairs.

Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd which has an experience of handling tough projects on the famed Konkan railway route is the executing agency for this marvelous project.

This engineering wonder indeed, going to set an example being a phenomenon!

(AW:Samrat Biswas)