India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge

In News

• Anji Khad bridge in Jammu’s Reasi district is a major step in the Indian Railways’ ambitious plan to seamlessly connect Kashmir to Jammu, and the rest of India.

About the Project

• Anji Bridge, the first cable-stayed railway bridge in the country and  is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
  • Anji River is a tributary of Chenab River between Katra and Reasi district of Jammu.
• The Anji bridge forms an important link in Indian Railways’ aim to connect J&K to the rest of India with all-weather rail connectivity. 
• A large number of sensors have been placed on the Anji bridge so that the structural health can be monitored regularly. 
• It has been designed to handle heavy storms and wind speed of up to 213 kilometres per hour. 

Significance of the Project

• The project is expected to bring about socio-economic development of the State of Jammu and Kashmir through enhanced connectivity within the region and with the rest of the country. 
• The project was envisaged to provide an efficient all weather transportation channel that could function in adverse weather conditions and reduce the travel time to various destinations in and outside the valley considerably. 

Udhampur – Srinagar – Baramulla Railway Link

• It is a National project undertaken by the Indian Railways for construction of a 272 km long broad-gauge railway line through the Himalayas, with the aim of connecting the Kashmir region with the rest of the country.
• The project comprises three ‘legs’– a 25 km length going northwest from Udhampur to Katra in Reasi district, the site of the renowned Vaishno Devi temple, a 111 km track rising northeast from Katra to Banihal in Ramban district, and finally, a 136 km stretch from Banihal to Baramulla, going north and then northwest, with Anantnag and Srinagar along the way.

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