World’s tallest rail bridge equipped with 120 sensors for safe train operations

Srinagar, June 22: The Chenab Bridge, the world’s tallest rail bridge, is set to become operational with a range of advanced safety features including 120 sensors and 150 servers inside the state of art control room, officials said.
The Chenab Rail Bridge, standing at a staggering 359 meters (about 1,178 feet) above the Chenab River, is now the world’s highest railway bridge. It surpasses the height of the Eiffel Tower by approximately 35 meters.
Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railways Deepak Kumar told Rising Kashmir that Chenab bridge is equipped with more than 100 sensors, a 780-meter-long blast protection platform, and a state-of-the-art control room with 150 servers.
“The 780-meter-long blast protection platform is mounted on the surface of the Chenab bridge to absorb impacts during train operations. Additionally, 120 sensors are installed to continuously monitor the structural health of the arch bridge, ensuring safety around the clock,” he said.
Kumar said that sensors are being installed as part of the smart asset management system to monitor structural health of the bridge. These sensors would provide vital data about the wind velocity, temperature, humidity, vibrations and other required information on a real-time basis, he said.
An engineering marvel, the 1,315-m-long Chenab Bridge, is a steel and concrete arch bridge built to sustain 260 kmph wind speed and designed to bear earthquake forces of the highest intensity.
CPRO Kumar said that according to the Railways, topographically, geologically and tectonically the project is full of challenges.
“Being hilly areas, the wind velocity can vary from time to time and it is essential for the Indian Railways to keep a close watch on the wind speed,” he added.
Chenab Bridge, a crucial part of the Kashmir rail link project, is equipped with sensors to generate red signal and also an alarm sound at the station master room in case of emergency like wind speed exceeding the permissible limit.
It is situated between Bakkal and Kauri in Reasi district of Jammu, the bridge is a crucial link in the Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project.
CPRO Kumar said that there are trained personnel being deployed to monitor and operate the structural health monitoring system of the bridge.
“Apart from wind speed, the expert team at the control room also witnessed various other functions of the system, including wind direction, ambient air temperature and also loads at various sections of the bridge,” he said.
Besides the world’s highest bridge, India’s longest tunnel (T-49) with a length of 12.77 km is also part of the Kashmir rail link project. Some globally renowned tunnelling experts are involved in the tunnelling works in the section.
Meanwhile about 12 lakh cubic metres of earth was excavated for the massive structure over the Chenab river.
“Ahead of the regular train operation, the Railways also completed the testing and installation of overhead equipment (OHE) at 5.7 m height over the tracks,” he said.
Being near to the border region, the government has given utmost importance to the security aspects, Indian Railways has undertaken a fool-proof arrangement.
Kumar said after a two-decade wait since its approval in 2003, the bridge faced delays due to stability concerns. However, the construction contract was awarded in 2008. Overcoming obstacles, track laying began in February 2023, and the Chenab rail bridge has now entered its operational phase, he said.
While around 30,350 MT of steel has been used to construct the 1,315-m-long Chenab Railway Bridge, at least 10,620 MT of steel has been consumed in the construction of the gigantic arch, while 14,504 MT of steel has gone into the construction of the bridge deck.
A symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Chenab Bridge, 35 m higher than the Eiffel Tower, is fully constructed by Indian engineers. With trains expected to start operating this year, India will witness another milestone, he added.
On June 19, Indian Railways conducted a successful trial run on Thursday across the newly constructed Chenab Rail Bridge, marking a significant milestone in connecting Kashmir to the national rail network.
Railway Minister AshwiniVaishnaw announced the achievement on social media, stating, “Successful trial run of MEMU train between Sangaldan – Reasi section of USBRL project. Jammu & Kashmir”.
The 1,315-meter-long bridge is a crucial component of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. This project aims to integrate the Kashmir Valley with India’s expansive railway network.
Presently, train services operate from Kanyakumari to Katra and from Baramulla to Sangaldan in the Kashmir Valley. Officials expect the entire USBRL project to be completed by the end of this year.