India's First Cable Railway Bridge Over Anji River Closer To Completion — IN PICS

The first cable-stayed railway bridge in India is nearing completion and the deck of the bridge is expected to be ready by May this year on the Anji river in Jammu and Kashmir.

anji river bridge

The Anji bridge between Katra and Reasi stations falls in the Reasi district of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

A labourer works at an under-construction Anji Khad Bridge, trains are expected to run at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour on the bridge being constructed around 80 kilometres away from Jammu.

The upcoming structure is part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla-Rail Link (USBRL) project.

The deck level of the 193-metre tall bridge from the foundation is 51 meters, while the invested Y-shaped pylon above the deck level is 142 meters, the officials said, adding that the bridge work started in 2017.

According to officials, the last deck portion of Anji bridge which is designed to withstand wind speeds of 213 kilometres per hour is expected to be completed in May this year as six more segments of the bridge are yet to be launched.

According to railway officials, the bridge is located in the young-fold mountains of the Himalayas having extremely complex, fragile and daunting geological features in the form of faults, folds and thrusts.

The official said the bridge has a codal life (normal average life of machines, equipment, infrastructure calculated as per working shift) of 120 years and it will be able to bear the explosion of 40-kg of explosive material. The bridge will also have an integrated monitoring system with numerous sensors installed at various locations.

Underconstruction Anji Khad bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, during a media preview in Reasi district, Saturday, March 25, 2023.