Bungee jumping from Chenab rail bridge in the offing

India will soon boast the world's tallest railway bridge, construction of which is on in full swing, over the river Chenab in the difficult terrain of Jammu and Kashmir.

Also, the Chenab rail bridge, the crowning glory of the Kashmir rail link project, is expected to host bungee jumping and many other such exciting sport events.

There will be sight seeing points, trekking routes and hotels slated to be constructed in the area to cater the tourists in the difficult terrain, railway officials said.

The 1.315-km-long rail bridge at the height of 359 metre over the river Chenab, 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, will have two stations at both ends of it.
 

The area was inaccessible earlier and the railways have to make 22 km of roads as access path for the construction of the bridge.

"We are in discussion with the Jammu and Kashmir government for development of the area as an adventure tourist spot," said Sanjay Gupta, Konkan Railway Chairman and Managing Director.

Konkan Railway is executing the Rs 12,000-crore Chenab rail bridge project.

Currently, 1,400 men out of which 500 are locals, are working through the day to complete the behemoth structure by March 2019.

The project is an attempt to boost tourism and it has increased employment opportunities in the state.

The bridge forms the crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal which is part of the Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla section of the Kashmir Railway project.

Gupta said the 325-km-long Kashmir rail link is the most expensive stretch out of the entire 66,000-km rail line in the country.

The completion of the Kashmir rail link project will provide an all-weather and reliable connectivity to the Jammu and Kashmir state with rest of the country by rail network.

The rail link will also provide connectivity by train to far-flung areas of the state which is expected to result in economic development of region.

Once completed, it will be an iconic bridge and an engineering marvel of the world, said Railway Chief Engineer B S Tomar, who is involved in the project.