Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) India: On March 21st, a minor train operated on the Chenab valley in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the construction of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, which includes the world’s highest railway track.
The Bakal Surrey witnessed the ceremony where the mounted vehicles were flagged off. These vehicles will be used on the track for a period of two years.
According to sources, the train had a successful trial run on the Chenab river track in Jammu and Kashmir on the first day and is expected to be completed by the third week of this month. The completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, also known as the Kashmir Link, will be a significant achievement.
The construction of the bridge is the largest civil engineering challenge faced by any railway project in recent Indian history and is expected to cost around Rs 1,400 crore. Upon completion of the 111 km stretch, trains bound for Srinagar will be able to travel to Kanyakumari without any obstacles. Recently, the authorities finished laying tracks on the Chenab bridge.
Initially announced as a national project in 2002, the project has a length of 272 km, connecting the valley to the rest of the country from Baramulla to Udhampur. The Udhampur-Katra section, which is 25 km long, was commissioned in July 2014, while the Quezigund-Baramulla section, which is 118 km long, was commissioned in October 2009. The Banhal-Kazigund section, which is also 118 km long, was initiated in June 2013.
The bridge, located in the Riasi district between Bakal and Kuri, is classified as falling under Seismic Zone IV by the Indian Railways. Its construction began in 2002 and was regarded as a significant development towards establishing rail connectivity.
The bridge has been designed to withstand magnitude eight earthquakes and high-intensity explosions and includes security measures to guard against potential terrorist attacks.
In August of last year, the world’s highest railway track over the Chenab river received its gold lining, paving the way for engineers to lay tracks. The bridge’s construction involved approximately 300 engineers and 1,300 workers who worked tirelessly around the clock.
The M/S Chenab Bridge Project Undertaking, a joint venture between Afcons Infrastructure, VSL India, and Ultra Construction and Engineering Company of South Korea, was awarded the bridge contract.
The bridge, with a length of 1,315 meters and comprised of 28,660 metric tons of steel, was constructed at a total cost of Rs 27,949 crore and had an anticipated lifespan of around 120 years. Currently, the railway link to Kashmir consists mainly of the 25 km section from Udhampur to Katra, the 18 km line from Banhal to Qazigund in the valley, and then 118 Kazi, up until Gund-Baramula.
 [India]: On March 21st, a minor train operated on the world's highest railway track on Chenab valley in Jammu){kind=link}