Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to undertake his inaugural visit to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) since a recent conflict between Pakistan and India last month. During this visit, he will inaugurate a strategic railway project intended for the mountainous region, as confirmed by his office on Wednesday. The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of occupied Kashmir remains a focal point of intense rivalry between Pakistan and India, having been partitioned between them since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.
On Friday, Modi will officially open the Chenab Bridge, an impressive 1,315-meter-long structure of steel and concrete. This span connects two mountains, featuring an arch that rises 359 meters above the river flowing beneath it. “The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country,” stated the Indian Prime Minister’s Office in an official announcement. It is anticipated that Modi will also flag off a special train as part of the inauguration.
Last month, nuclear-armed Pakistan and India were embroiled in an intense four-day conflict, marking their most severe standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire agreement was reached on May 10. The conflict was sparked by an April 22 attack on civilians in Indian occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi attributed to Pakistan’s backing—a charge vehemently denied by Islamabad.
The 272-kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line, which incorporates 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, has been constructed “aiming to transform regional mobility and driving socio-economic integration,” the statement further added. Its most striking feature is the Chenab Bridge, which India proudly labels as the “world’s highest railway arch bridge.” While numerous road and pipeline bridges exceed its height, Guinness World Records has verified that the Chenab Bridge surpasses the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China. Indian Railways characterizes the $24-million bridge as “arguably the biggest civil engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history.”
This bridge is set to facilitate the movement of people, goods, and troops—a logistical capability previously restricted to perilous mountain roads and air travel. The new train line is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the town of Katra and Srinagar, the region’s principal city, by half, cutting the journey to approximately three hours. Furthermore, the bridge is projected to revolutionize logistics in Ladakh, the icy region of India bordering China.
India and China, the world’s two most populous nations, are engaged in an intense rivalry, vying for strategic influence across South Asia. Their respective troops clashed in 2020, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. Forces from both sides continue to face off across contested high-altitude borderlands today.
