JK: Trial between Sangaldan-Reasi on world's highest Chenab rail bridge | WATCH

A trial run of the MEMU train (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) on the newly constructed Electrified Line Section (Reasi-Sangaldan) with a route length of 46 km on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link (USBRL) project was conducted today at a speed of 40 kmph.

According to an official statement, it was successfully carried out starting at 12:35 pm from Sangaldan and reaching Reasi at 14:05 pm. On the way, it passed through nine tunnels with a combined length of 40.787 km and the longest tunnel, T-44, of 11.13 km.

“The first ever full train crossed over the iconic bridge between Dugga and Bakkal stations across the Chenab River, which is the world's highest railway bridge with a central span of 467 metres at a staggering height of 359 metres,” it said.

In the Reasi District of Jammu and Kashmir, stations like Reasi, Bakkal, Dugga, and Sawlakote have witnessed the implementation of advanced Railway Electrification using ROCS (Rigid Overhead Conductor System) technology at 25 kV, a first for Indian Railways.

Currently, trains operate from Kanyakumari to Katra, with services extending from Baramulla to Sangaldan in the Kashmir Valley.

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, including the 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan section, is set to conclude by the year's end, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20, 2024.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote in a post on X, “Successful trial run of MEMU train between Sangaldan - Reasi section of USBRL project.”

Phase I of the project, which included the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section, was inaugurated in October 2009. Subsequent phases involved the inauguration of the 18 km Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013 and the 25 km Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014.

The Chenab Rail Bridge, standing 359 meters above the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, is notably 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. Spanning 1,315 meters, this bridge is a crucial part of a larger effort to integrate the Kashmir Valley into the Indian Railway network, enhancing connectivity to the region.

(With inputs from ANI)