K N Pandita
On 13 January 2025, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi will inaugurate regular service of Chenab Railway Bridge over Chandrabhaga River in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. Conceptualized in 2003, the topographically most difficult and complex project finally culminated after 21 years of sustained engineering work in exceptionally difficult conditions.
Northern Railway has undertaken the megaproject of constructing a new railway line across the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir between the towns of Udhampur in Jammu and Baramulla on the northwestern edge of the Kashmir Valley. This project was declared a national project in 2004. It is directed by the Northern Railway.
The extraordinary challenge lies in a large number of tunnels (totaling 63 km in length) and bridges (7.5 km) to be implemented in highly rugged and mountainous terrain, with the difficult Himalayan geology. The most difficult part is believed to be the crossing of the deep gorge of the Chenab River, near Salal Hydro Power Dam, by the Chenab Bridge.
The engineering marvel lies in the seismic zone IV, and can withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale, high-intensity blasts, and winds up to speeds of 260 kilometer per hour.
Why has the Government of India invested such a huge amount of money, labour and time in connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country through a railway line. The answer to this question is simple. It is the sense of responsibility of a secular-democratic nation of carrying developmental effort to the farthest nook of the country.
Kashmir has remained a land-locked region ever since the dawn of history. Isolation has remained the hallmark of Kashmir Valley and adjoining Himalayan region. That isolation is broken by this marvelous feat of engineering. Innumerable generations of our countrymen will remember with surprise and gratitude the extraordinary achievement of connecting the entire northern mountainous region from Jammu to Ladakh by a broad gauge railway line.
This miraculous link reduces the travel time between Jammu and Baramulla to just four hours. Kashmir apple plucked in the morning will be available for supply to the fruit mandi in Delhi the same evening.
Kashmir’s physical isolation has gone once for all. Kashmir’s isolationist mentality also will go as travelling by Chenab Railway becomes frequent. It will be replaced by market mentality, human relationship mentality and also lit up the fire of walking step by step towards national integration.
An ordinary Kashmiri who until yesterday was loath to step out of his home has a chance of seeing naked what India is. This rail link will open the doors of professional institutes all over India for the aspiring boys and girls from Kashmir. It will sharpen the urge of technical-minded aspirants to have access to the great institutions of science and technology in the country.
The Chenab Railway Bridge will become the harbinger of a new era of connectivity in the sub-Himalayan region. In the next one or two decades, we will find a network of railways being laid out in the entire region. Jammu Railway Division, is coming up as the centripetal point for extension of railway lines to Poonch, Bhaderwah, Likewise, Baramulla terminal is likely to become the hub for extension to Lolab valley, and Tilel areas. Srinagar railway station will be connected with Dras, Kargil and Leh stations with every prospect of taking the track right up to Shahidullah pass.
Railway network will not only facilitate quick mobility of men and material but will also provide cheap means of transportation of men and goods. The entire population of Jammu and Kashmir standing at nearly 1.20 crore will be benefited.
The army will be a prominent beneficiary of the Trans-Pir Panchal Railway. J&K is a border state, touching with the Chinese as well as Pakistani territories. Unfortunately both neighbors are not friendly to us. We need to protect our thousands of miles long border from Siachen to Kathua. It is not an easy border. Our large military force is deployed along this long border to protect it against infiltration by our adversaries. Obviously huge military stores, arms and ammunition, vehicles, tanks and heavy armament has to be transported at regular intervals and throughout the year. Quick transport of heavy loads will become possible which ultimately boosts the strength and fighting capability of our armed forces.
This immensely important railway network is bound to produce hundreds of thousands of jobs which means reducing unemployment rate in the State. It will promote brisk and uninterrupted interaction between the people of the state and the rest of India. Kashmir, in particular, is bound to draw big benefits in terms of trade and commerce.
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