Railway Minister V Somanna Inspects Chenab and Anji Bridges in Jammu

Jammu- Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna on Friday visited Jammu Division and inspected two landmark railway bridges constructed under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.

During the visit, the Minister conducted a detailed inspection of the Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge, standing 359 metres above the riverbed. He also inspected the Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge. The inspection was carried out through window trailing, during which Somanna appreciated the quality of construction and the safety standards maintained at both engineering landmarks.

The Minister subsequently reviewed various ongoing development works in Jammu Division and issued directions for the timely completion of the proposed projects.

Divisional Railway Manager, Jammu,  Vivek Kumar, along with branch officers and other senior officials of the division, was present during the visit.

Somanna said redevelopment work at several important stations in Jammu Division is progressing rapidly under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. The stations include Jammu Tawi,  Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Udhampur.

The Minister also reviewed efforts to expand passenger amenities and increase freight-loading capacity in the division.

He highlighted that following the full commissioning of the USBRL section, work to establish seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country is at an advanced stage.

During the visit, Somanna appreciated the efforts of railway employees and reiterated the commitment of the Railways to providing passengers with safer, cleaner and improved rail services.

The inspection of the Chenab and Anji bridges comes as Jammu Division continues to witness major infrastructure development under the USBRL project, alongside station redevelopment and efforts to strengthen passenger and freight facilities.