Srinagar, June 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab river and flagged off the first Vande Bharat train to Srinagar, marking a significant step in India’s infrastructure push in the Kashmir Valley.
The launch of the 272-km Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) – now providing all-weather rail connectivity to the valley – also included the inauguration of India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge. The visit comes just weeks after a deadly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam and is Modi’s first to the region since Operation Sindoor.
“These projects are a testament to India’s engineering capabilities and our unwavering commitment to the development of Jammu and Kashmir,” Modi said during a ceremony attended by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Modi accused Pakistan of attacking “insaniyat” (humanity) and “Kashmiriyat” (Kashmiri culture) by orchestrating the Pahalgam attack, which he said aimed to incite communal unrest and damage the livelihoods of local people reliant on tourism.
The Chenab Rail Bridge, a key part of the USBRL project, stands as the highest railway bridge in the world and features advanced safety systems, including earthquake resistance and the ability to operate trains at low speeds even if support structures are compromised. The ₹43,780 crore USBRL project includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 km and 943 bridges.
The Anji Khad Bridge, completed in just 11 months, rises 331 metres above the riverbed and stretches 725 metres. Supported by 96 high-tensile cables, it is anchored by a distinctive inverted Y-shaped pylon.
Modi also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth over ₹46,000 crore in Katra, the base town for pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine.
Congratulating Modi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu called the bridges “symbols of engineering excellence and national integration,” noting their potential to boost both spiritual tourism and economic development in the region.
The inauguration underscores the central government’s emphasis on integrating Kashmir with the rest of the country through robust transport links, even amid lingering security challenges.
