First J&K Yatra after Pahalgam incident: PM Modi inaugurated Chenab, Fix Bridge; Vande Bharat train flags; Top Development | Bharat News
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated two major railway infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir-Chainb Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, and figs, India’s first cable-station rail bridge.Waving the national flag on the Chenab Bridge site in Rasi district, the Prime Minister called the structure a symbol of India’s engineering capabilities. The Arc Bridge is 359 meters above the river and extends to 1,315 meters, designed to bear seismic and wind challenges.Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav were also present at the event.PM Modi also inaugurated the Fort Bridge located above Fil Khad. The structure is India’s first cable-state railway bridge and, with Chenab Bridge, is an important part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL). The USBRL project first connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India by rail.Later during the day, the Prime Minister flagged off two Wande Bharat Express trains from Katra to Srinagar. Before the flag-off, he interacted with school children and talked to the railway employees.The new trains will cut the journey time between Katra and Srinagar for about 3 hours by road for about 3 hours. Officials said the trains are equipped to operate in the cold climate of the Kashmir Valley and will cross the newly inaugurated bridges.The USBRL project was built at a cost of about Rs 43,780 crore, including 272 km railway line, 119 km in 36 tunnels, and 943 bridges, which provide all weather, round-the-air connectivity. It is expected to improve mobility, promote tourism and provide facilities for economic development in the region.
