Source: https://zeenews.india.com/railways/fact-check-viral-twitter-video-shows-train-running-on-worlds-highest-railway-bridge-in-jk-heres-the-truth-2587744.html
Publisher: Zee News
A video of a fast moving train on the world’s highest rail bridge over the Chenab bridge in Jammu and Kashmir is going viral on social media platforms. Several Twitter users have shared the video, showcasing a train running over an Arch Bridge, claiming it to be the world’s highest bridge constructed on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link on the Chenab valley in Jammu and Kashmir. The video comes at a time when the Indian Railways has performed a test run of a small train ran on Tuesday on March 21, 2023 on the Chenab Bridge.
However, the train tested by the Railway officials is the polar opposite to what Twitter users have been sharing on social media site. A quick fact check of the video reveals that the train is crossing an arch bridge somewhere in China, and not India. Although the bridge’s design is similar to India’s Chenab Bridge, the similarities end there. Noted industrialist Anand Mahindra also shared the video on Twitter, but quickly deleted it later.
As per a report on ANI, these small vehicles will be operated on this track for two years. As per the images shared on Twitter, this small train is actually an open vehicle that can run on the train track using manual push and can sit 4-5 people. The bridge, being built at a cost of around Rs 1,400 crore, is the biggest civil engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history.
Baramulla-Udhampur Railway Line
Announced as a national project in 2002, the project has a length of 272 km from Baramulla to Udhampur, connecting the valley to the rest of the country. While the 25 km long Udhampur – Katra section was commissioned in July 2014, the 118 km long Quezigund-Baramulla section was commissioned in October 2009. Similarly, the 118 km long Banhal-Kazigund section was started in June 2013.
Once the 118 km stretch is completed, the Srinagar-bound train can reach Kanyakumari without any hindrance. Recently, the authorities completed the track laying work on the Chenab bridge.
World’s Highest Railway Bridge
The construction of the bridge began in 2002, and has security measures against any possible terrorist attack. This bridge can withstand magnitude 8 earthquakes and high-intensity explosions. The bridge has been built at a total cost of Rs 27949 crore and has a length of 1315 meters. The useful life of the bridge is around 120 years. At it’s highest point, the bridge is taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
