JAMMU: The Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express achieved a new milestone on Thursday by crossing the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, at 100 kmph for the first time.
The speed test was conducted on October 2 after the maximum permissible speed on the 111-km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section was raised from 75 kmph to 100 kmph.
Vande Bharat Express trains 26401/26404 successfully crossed both the Chenab Bridge and Anji Bridge at the enhanced speed. The Anji Bridge is India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge and forms another key structure on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).
Standing 359 metres above the riverbed, the 1,315-metre-long Chenab Bridge is 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge has been designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, including wind speeds of up to 260 kmph, and has a projected lifespan of 120 years.
The increase in permissible speed is expected to make train operations on the Katra-Banihal section smoother and help reduce travel time for passengers travelling between the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley.
Currently, two pairs of Vande Bharat services operate on the 266-km corridor. The trains, developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory, are designed to operate in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.
The Kashmir Vande Bharat services initially operated with eight coaches, but additional coaches were added earlier this year in view of high passenger demand, taking the total coach count to 20.
