JAMMU & KASHMIR: The Government of India is set to achieve a historic milestone in the infrastructure development of Jammu and Kashmir, with the Indian Railways soon to complete the construction of two record-breaking bridges as part of its ambitious plans to link the Kashmir valley with the railways network.
The first bridge, being built over the Chenab river in the Reasi district of the Union Territory (97 km from Jammu) at a height of 359 meters from the riverbed, will be the world's highest railway bridge. The second one is the country's first cable-stayed bridge being built between Katra and Reasi town over the Anji river, a tributary of the Chenab river situated 80 km from Jammu.
The two bridges are being built as part of new line work in highly complex geological terrain in the Katra-Banihal (111 km) section, which was the last leg of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link (USBRL) project (272 km).
According to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the new 327-km single railway line from Jammu Tawi to Baramulla via Udhampur, Katra, Banihal, Qazigund, and Srinagar is planned to be opened for operation by December or January next year. The railway line is expected to cut the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by three to four hours, bringing the two regions closer. Currently, trucks and other vehicles take 9 to 10 hours to cover the 263 km distance from Jammu to Srinagar via NH 1-A due to varying road widths ranging from single to two and four lanes.
A visit to the Chenab bridge by “The New Indian Express” revealed that construction of the steel and arch bridge spanning over 1315-meters is progressing in full swing between Kauri and Bakkal villages on the slopes of the Himalayan mountains in the Reasi district. The bridge work is expected to get completed in three months.
The site is approximately 45 kilometers away from Katra, which is home to the Vaishno Devi temple, and is accessible via a battered single-lane road filled with pits and potholes. Armed security personnel guard the route leading to the under-construction bridge around the clock due to its proximity to the Salam dam situated on the Chenab river.
The most challenging part of building the Chenab bridge was crossing the deep, narrow valley with steep sides on the river near the Salal dam. To overcome this, a total of 467 meters linear arch span was positioned on the two ends of the mountain which was the most critical part of the construction, according to railway officials. A 785-m long deck superstructure was launched from both ends and joined over the arch span.
The carriageway of the bridge sits at a height of 351 meters from the riverbed, making it 29 meters taller than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and officially the world's highest railway bridge. A total 28,660 MT steel has been used for building the structure.
Construction on the Chenab bridge began in 2005, however was stopped abruptly within three years due to suspected geological instability on the slopes of the Chenab river in the mountains. In response, the railway board constituted a high-level expert committee to assess the safety of the entire project's alignment. Following the committee's review and minor adjustments to the alignment, construction resumed in June 2009.
“Out of 1.3 km, a 780 metre long blast protection platform laid on either side of the track on the structure. The bridge was also designed to withstand an earthquake up to the magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale and wind speeds up to 266 km/hour,” explained an official. The project cost was Rs. 1486 crore.
Similarly, the second mega bridge was being built over the Anji river between Katra and Reasi for 725.5 meter. The bridge was to be built in the young fold mountains of Himalayas having extremely complex fragile and danting geological features in form of faults (fractured blocks in rocks), folds and thrusts (multi layer rocks). The construction of Anji bridge commenced in 2012.
The bridge has a single main ‘Y’ shaped pylon of 193 meters height from the top of the foundation standing at the height of 331 meters above the river bed. The main bridge crossing the deep valley was 473.25 meter was stayed through cable. The approach viaducts from two ends built for 158 meters.
“As many as 96 cables having the length varying from 82 to 295 meters support the main portion of the bridge. The bridge carries the single railway line, 3.75 meter wide service road and 1.5 meter wide footpath on each side of the deck with an overall width of 15 meters. The structure is designed to handle strong winds up to the speed of 213 kmph” explained an official.
During the construction of the Anji Bridge, engineers had to deal with frequent rockfalls and landslides caused by falling rocks and boulders from the mountains. Despite being aware of the area's susceptibility to earthquakes of varying intensities, the engineers were initially unable to detect any significant differences.
“After a few months, I began to experience boulders falling from the mountains, damaging vehicles and materials at the site. There are several nights when I hardly slept for two hours,” recalled an engineer.
The construction of the Anji and Chenab bridges project was executed by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, with the support of various other government and private agencies. A total of Rs. 26,786 crore has been spent up to March 2022 on the USBRL project, with the anticipated expenses pegged at Rs. 37,012 crore. The Jammu-Udhampur-Katra (80 km) line and Banihal - Quazigund-Baramulla (136 km) were commissioned in multiple stages between 2005 and 2014 and opened for train operations.
The construction of the 111 km new railway line involves the building of 27 main tunnels and 8 escape tunnels, totaling 164 km. This includes the Sumber-Arpinchala T-49 tunnel, which stretches for 12.5 km and is set to become the longest transportation tunnel in India, surpassing the Peer Panjal tunnel of 11.2 km on the Banihal-Qazigund railway line, which is currently operational. Furthermore, four mega bridges including two over Chenab and Anji rivers, 26 major bridges, and 11 minor bridges have also been constructed.
Recalling the challenges faced during execution of the project, official railways said the pre-construction preparation for the project took several years due to the diverse geography of the Himalayan region and the presence of deep riverine gorges. One major challenge was the lack of approach roads to reach the construction sites, which prompted the railways to build 205 km of roads in 73 villages in J & K. In addition, a 400-meter-long tunnel was built to transport construction materials.
“Intitally, to build the approach roads for building Chenab bridge, the equipments and materials were transported by Army helicopters for several months,” said a senior railway official.
Apart from the geological challenges, the new line project was delayed due to issues with land acquisition, forest and environmental clearance, and relocation infringing utilities. There was also some resistance from the local community in certain areas, added sources.
A few locals who interacted with the TNIE said the train connectivity to SriNagar may be beneficial for transporting their produce and other goods, but the region needs more job opportunities.
“Many of us migrate within J & K and outside the area to seek employment,” said a resident of Reasi town. Nevertheless, some locals are pleased with the introduction of the Vande Bharat train to Katra.
A railway official stated that many road stretches developed by the railways for the project have been handed over to the local bodies of J&K. “As many as 799 land givers have been given permanent jobs in the railways. More than 500 lakh man days of employment were generated in Katra – Banihal project of which 65 % was given to locals,” added the railway official.
Fact sheet:
• New single railway line in Jammu – Katra – SriNagar – Baramulla (327 km) approved in 1994.
• The Jammu-Udhampur -Katra (80 km) & Banihal - Quazigund-Baramulla (136 km) lines were commissioned between 2005 and 2014.
• Last leg of Katra - Banihal (111 km) line work is in the final stage
• Two bridges over Chenab river and its tributary Anji are being built and nearing completion
• Out of 111 km of new line, 97 km of track passes through tunnels.
• Rs. 26,786 crore has been spent up to March 2022 on the USBRL project & anticipated expenses pegged at Rs. 37,012 crore.
Chenab bridge:
• Built at a height of 359 meters from river bed making it to become world’s highest railway bridge
• A 467 meters linear arch span was positioned on the two ends of the mountain which was the most critical part of the construction.
• A 780 metre long blast protection platform laid on either side of the track.
• The bridge can withstand an earthquake up to the magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale
• Wind speeds up to 266 km/hour
• Train speed 100 kmph
Anji bridge:
• India’s first cable stayed bridge
• The bridge has a single main ‘Y’ shaped pylon of 193 meters height from the top of the foundation standing at the height of 331 meters above the river bed.
• The length of the bridge: 725.5 m
• The main bridge crossing the deep valley was 473.25 meter was stayed through cable.
• 96 cables having the length varying from 82 to 295 meters support the main portion of the bridge.
• The bridge is on the young fold mountains of Himalayas having extremely complex fragile and daunting geological features.