Reasi (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 6 (ANI): Ahead of its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday shared a captivating video of India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, the Anji Bridge, built on the Anji River in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district.

The video, posted on X, was accompanied by a Hindi caption that read, 'Think firmly, There is a wide path of virtue, Keep moving forward. Keep moving forward.'

https://x.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1930822289672544766

Anji Bridge is the country's 'first cable-stayed bridge' of Indian Railways connecting Katra and Reasi in Jammu and Kashmir. The bridge is a part of the national project of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.

The bridge is located in the young fold mountains of the Himalayas, having extremely complex, fragile and daunting geological features in the form of faults, folds and thrusts and besides the seismic proneness of the region.

The Anji Khad Bridge rises boldly across the rugged Himalayan terrain, standing as India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. It spans the deep Anji River valley, south of the Chenab, connecting the Katra Banihal section of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Line.

About 80 kilometres from Jammu city, the bridge is set against a striking backdrop of snow-covered peaks. Towering 331 metres above the riverbed and stretching 725 metres across, it is anchored by 96 high tensile cables.

At its heart stands an inverted Y-shaped pylon that climbs 193 metres above its foundation. The total length of cable strand used in the bridge is an impressive 653 kilometres. Remarkably, the entire structure was completed in just 11 months, as per the official release.

Over 8,200 metric tonnes of structural steel have gone into its construction, ensuring strength and durability in a region shaped by young, restless mountains. Built to endure tremors, strong winds and shifting geology, the Anji Khad Bridge is more than an engineering feat. It is a symbol of human will and vision.

As part of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link, it promises to bring smoother travel, faster transit and greater economic opportunities to the region. (ANI)