KL Report
New Delhi
The department of Railways has planned to complete the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir by 2016, making it the world’s highest rail bridge. The arch-shaped bridge across Chenab river-bed in Reasi district, which will be five times the height of Qutab Minar at 359 meters above river bed, will connect Baramulla and Srinagar to Jammu via Udhampur-Katra-Qazigund covering the entire route in about seven hours.
“We plan to complete it by December 2016, a year before the entire Udhampur-Baramulla stretch is commissioned,” CAO of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project, B D Garg said.
As reported by a Delhi based news channel, the 1,315-m-long design would ensure that it withstands blast and seismic activities, while the signaling arrangements would ensure the train does not encounter high wind velocity at that height.
“Anemometer has been provided at the bridge site which will measure wind speed at the bridge site, and will interlock train movement over the bridge automatically if there is any wind above the prescribed speed,” Garg said. Trains can cruise at 100 kmph on the structure, which would have a life span of 120 years.
The officer further informed that arch-shaped design was chosen as it can absorb seismic forces unlike concrete structures. The thrust of the arch stabilizes the side slopes of the river.
Further, it is easier to construct and maintain and rehabilitate steel structure as compared to other structures, he said. As the bridge could prove vulnerable from the security point of view, the design has been made such that even if an element is removed from the structure, traffic could still remain open, running at a restricted speed of 30 kmph.
“If one of the columns gives way, the deck would not collapse. It would be possible to restore the bridge for normal operation after carrying out required repairs,” Garg said. The executing agency for the project is Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd which has an experience of handling tough projects on the famed Konkan railway route.
