‘India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge connecting J&K is ready', says railway minister | Watch

The link will be a breakthrough in connecting Kashmir with the rest of India by train.

Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday announced that India’s first cable-stayed Anji Khad Bridge is now ready for use while posting a timelapse footage of making of the bridge. “In 11 months, India's first cable-stayed rail bridge is ready. All 96 cables are set! #AnjiKhadBridge PS: Total length of cable strands 653 km”, Vaishnaw tweeted along with the video.

Anji Khad bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, in Reasi district.(PTI)

Read | Railways completes installing cables of India’s first cable-stayed bridge in 11 months

Reacting to the tweet of railway minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the completion of the project, and tweeted: "Excellent".

Here's everything you need to know about the India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge connecting J&K:

1.The link will be a breakthrough in connecting Kashmir with the rest of India by train.

2. The look of the bridge will remind Mumbaikars of the Bandra Worli Sea Link, which is among the first cable-stayed bridges in the country.

3. The project will also comprise the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River. The 1,315-m arch bridge will be taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and will rise 331 m above the riverbed.

4. The Anji bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Line (USBRL), and is deemed to be one of the most difficult projects undertaken in the Indian subcontinent.

5. The bridge has been designed to withstand storms and strong winds. Given the complex geology of the high-altitude region, constructing the bridge is very challenging.

6. The total cost of the entire rain line is ₹37,000 crore and the bridge is ₹400 crore.