Indian Railways on Thursday successfully conducted a trial run of an eight-coach MEMU train on the world's highest railway bridge - Chenab Bridge - in Jammu and Kashmir, paving the way for the start of rail service on the route from Reasi to Baramulla in Kashmir. "After an extensive inspection of the newly constructed Chenab Bridge by senior officers from Railway Board, Northern Railway and Konkan Railway, a trial run was conducted on a 46-km-long electrified line section between Sangaldan in Ramban district and Reasi at a speed of 40 kmph," the Railway Ministry said in a statement. "It was successfully carried out starting at 12:35 pm from Sangaldan and reaching Reasi at 2:05 pm. On the way it passes through nine tunnels with a combined length of 40.787 km and the longest tunnel T-44 of 11.13 km," it added.
Three stations
According to the ministry, it was the first ever full train that crossed over the iconic bridge between Dugga and Bakkal stations across the Chenab River, the world's highest arch railway bridge. The stations - Reasi, Bakkal, Dugga and Sawlakote - are situated in the Reasi district of J&K. "The electrification work on this section has been executed with state-of-the-art technology, ROCS (Rigid Overhead Conductor System) at 25 kV, for the first time on railways," the ministry said. Upon the mainline electric multiple unit (MEMU) train's arrival at Reasi railway station, chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' echoed as a large crowd gathered to witness the historic event. The train carried employees working on the project as well as railway officials.
In February 2024, the first electric train trial run from Banihal to Khari to Sangaldan section on the Banihal-Katra section of the USBRL project in Ramban was successfully conducted on around 40 km of track and tunnels between Banihal and Sangaldan railway stations in Ramban district. "After conducting a series of such tests, this bridge would be open to run all train services which will be a monumental stride towards the seamless integration of the Kashmir valley with Jammu and the broader Indian landscape," the ministry said. It added, "This would foster social integration by facilitating easier movement of people and goods, thereby promoting cultural exchanges and regional development and boost to economic activities such as tourism and trade."