Railways conducts successful trial run on Chenab Rail Bridge

Jammu, June 20

The Railways conducted a successful trial run on the newly constructed Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge. A mainline electric multiple unit (MEMU) train chugged at a speed of 40 km/hour on the bridge that connects Sangaldan in Ramban district with Reasi. Regular train services on this route would start soon, sources said.

As per an official statement of the Railways, the MEMU trial run on the newly constructed electrified Reasi-Sangaldan section with route length of 46 km on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula rail link in the afternoon.

“It (the trial) was successfully carried out starting at 12.35 pm from Sangaldan and reaching Reasi at 2.05 pm. On the way, it passed through nine tunnels with a combined length of 40.787 km and longest tunnel T-44 (11.13 km). The first-ever full train crossed the iconic bridge between Dugga and Bakkal stations across the Chenab. The world’s highest railway bridge has a central span of 467 m at a staggering height of 359 m,” the statement read.

Reasi, Bakkal, Dugga and Sawlakoteare stations on the route are situated in Reasi district. For the first time, the railway electrification work on this section has been executed with state-of-the-art technology, Rigid Overhead Conductor System.