J&K: PM Modi Flags Off Vande Bharat In Kashmir, Inaugurates Landmark Chenab Bridge, Anji Bridge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the first Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat Express train to Kashmir from the Nowgam Railway Station. The train service will be available from June 7, Saturday. The high-speed train is estimated to cover a 1,200-kilometre stretch in just over 11 hours, slicing down travel time by nearly 50 per cent.

This was PM Modi's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the success of 'Operation Sindoor', which was launched as a befitting response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

The prime minister was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Besides flagging off the Vande Bharat train, the prime minister also unveiled the Chenab Bridge, which is the key highlight of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project. The bridge is 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, standing 359 metres above the riverbed. This is the world’s highest railway arch bridge, which connects the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India via rail.

After arriving at the Air Force station in Udhampur, PM Modi took an aerial route to the Chenab bridge site, where he inaugurated the one-of-its-kind rail bridge.

Lauding the Chenab Bridge as an architectural marvel, an official statement earlier noted that it was at a height of 359 metres above the river. The 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge is engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions.

"A key impact of the bridge will be in enhancing connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. Through the Vande Bharat train moving on the bridge, it will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing existing travel time by two-three hours," it said, stressing Modi's commitment to boosting infrastructure and connectivity in the region.

Moreover, as part of launching development projects worth more than rupees 46,000 crores in Kashmir, the prime minister also inaugurated the Anji bridge, which is India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge that will serve the nation in a challenging terrain.

The bridge incorporates an astonishing 653 kilometres of cable strands. What truly sets this structure apart as an engineering marvel, however, is that it was completed in just 11 months.