CHENAB RAIL BRIDGE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Infrastucture)

Context: The Indian Railway conducted a successful trial run on the newly-constructed world's highest railway bridge, Chenab Rail Bridge, in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chenab Rail Bridge

• Location: It is located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
• Height: The bridge is situated 359 metres above the Chenab riverbed and has a length of 1315 m.
• World Record: It is the highest single-arch railway bridge in the world.
• Rail Link Project: The bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project.
• Collaboration: IITs, DRDO, and the Geological Survey of India.
• Lifespan: 120 years

Chenab River

• About: The Chenab River is a major river in India and Pakistan.
• Tributary: It is a tributary of the Indus River.
• Origin: The river is formed by the confluence of two streams, Chandra and Bhaga, at Tandi in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti Districts of Himachal Pradesh.
• Known as the: Chandrabhaga in its upper reaches.
• Flow Through J&K: It flows west through the Jammu and Kashmir union territory, between the Siwalik Range (south) and the Lesser Himalayas (north).
• Confluence and Length: After receiving the Jhelum River near Trimmu, the Chenab empties into the Sutlej River. Its total length is about 605 miles (974 km).
• Tributaries of the Chenab River: The tributaries include Miyar Nalla, Sohal, Thirot, Bhut Nalla, Marusudar, and Lidrari.