Railway Minister conducts first trial run on Chenab River rail bridge in J&K

Jammu, March 26 (IANS) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday conducted the first trial run on a track-mounted vehicle on the rail bridge over the Chenab river in J&K's Reasi district - the world's highest railway bridge.

The trial run marks a significant milestone in the completion of the Udhampur-Katra-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, which will connect the Valley with the rest of the country by train in January 2024.

The Chenab Bridge, which is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project, is being anticipated as one of the most magnificent train journeys in the future. After the successful trial run of the track-mounted vehicle, the bridge will soon be operational.

The Minister was accompanied by Northern Railway General Manager Ashutosh Gangal and other senior officials of USBRL Project & Northern Railway during his official inspection visit to the Chenab Bridge.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the trolley run on the Chenab bridge, Vaishnaw said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put a laser-sharp focus on the development of the country.

"Chenab bridge, all these tunnels, and this will become a lifeline for Jammu and Kashmir.

"The project will connect the Srinagar district with the rest of the country and it is a very important strategic development."

"The completion of the Udhampur-Katra-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project will not only boost tourism in the region but will also provide a reliable and safe mode of transportation for people travelling to and from the Kashmir Valley. It will also open up new opportunities for economic development in the region.

"The project has been a top priority for the government and with the successful trial run of the Chenab Bridge, the completion of the project is now closer than ever before," he added.

The Railway Minister also said that they were setting a special training academy in Jammu. "Wherever our engineers and technicians require training, they can come to this project and have the training, and other parts of the country can also benefit from this project," he said.