Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, Oct 30: As Indian Railway is edging closer to connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the railway network, final touches are being given to the country’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji Khad in Reasi district.
The bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Project and connects the T2 tunnel on the Katra side and the T3 tunnel on the Reasi side.
According to the Railway authorities, with the completion of all three phases, this 473 metres long asymmetric cable-stayed bridge balanced on the axis of a central pylon of height 193 metres from the top of the foundation, is almost ready.
“After checking final stresses, work of fixing ballast retainers is in progress and once it is completed, track laying will be done for chugging the train very soon,” said the Railway authorities.
Pertinent to mention that ballast is a granular material which is placed and packed below and around the railway sleepers. Different types of ballast materials used are broken stone, sand, gravel, moorum, brickbats etc. The main purpose of ballast is to transmit the load from sleepers to the formation(consolidated track bed) and to provide drainage facilities to the track.
The work on the country’s first cable-stayed railway bridge was completed in April last. Considered an engineering marvel, next to the world’s highest rail bridge over the Chenab River in Reasi’s Kouri village, the cable-stayed rail bridge has 96 cables. The total length of cable strands is 653 km weighing 848.7 MT. The cable-stayed bridge has 290 metres span on the north side (Katra Side) and 183 metres span on the south side (Reasi side). The bridge has a single-line railway track and a 3.75 metres wide service road.
Ending of December 2023 or January 2024 is the probable deadline for the completion of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Project.
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