While it might seem a little out of place for most people, the decision to construct the world’s tallest railway bridge over the Chenab river in Jammu & Kashmir does reflect certain political agendas. This “engineering marvel” is expected to be 359M and span a distance of 111 KM over the Chenab river bed. With the construction carried out by Afcons Infrastucture Ltd, at the cost of Rs. 1100 crore, this colossal arch-shaped railway is proposed to be 35 meters taller than the Eiffel tower and is said to use over 24,000 tonnes of special blast proof steel. The material is believed to withstand any terrorist attacks, extreme temperatures and high speed winds.

Knowing the hostility in the terrain, an aerial ring of security and an online monitoring and warning system are in the works, in order to maintain the safety of the passengers and the bridge itself. “The construction of the bridge is the most challenging part of the Kashmir rail link project. Once completed, it will be an engineering marvel,” said a senior Railway Ministry official, involved in the project.

With the roads in Kashmir being highly prone to snow and landslides in the winter, the Jammu-Srinagar highways are very likely to remain closed for a majority of the season, thereby cutting the valley off from the rest of India. But the proposed railway structure would prove itself by playing a vital role in linking Kashmir back with the country, as it falls under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project. Additionally, the bridge is also anticipated to contribute exponentially to the economic growth of the state and soon become a tourist attraction. Through the project, not only would the Indian government drastically improve accessibility into the region, but it would also make it a space of cultural enticement.