India has completed construction of the world's tallest railway bridge in the Jammu and Kashmir region, the Chenab Bridge. Situated 359 meters above the Chenab River, it is over 10 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge is part of a larger project to make the Kashmir Valley accessible by the Indian Railway network. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project includes the country's longest transportation tunnel and Indian Railways' first cable bridge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invested heavily in infrastructure such as the Chenab Bridge and the broader rail link project. These investments are seen as a powerful tool for social integration and political influence, bringing together disparate regions with key cities.
The Chenab Bridge specifically will boost the region's industrial and agricultural sectors by allowing all-weather rail connectivity between the valley and the rest of India. Previously, the only land route connecting the Indian-controlled parts of Kashmir with the rest of the country was the winding 300-kilometer Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which closes during part of the winter and is also frequently the site of vehicle accidents.
According to Anil Kumar Mehendru, vice president of the New Kashmir Fruit Association, "Once we will be connected by train with the rest of India, it will be a big boost to this industry, agriculture as well as fruit." However, Sushant Singh, a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in India, believes the bridge also has political implications, as it's seen as "a means of integrating Kashmir into India." The railway link, including the Chenab Bridge, was historically hoped to make Kashmir "feel more as a part of India". However, given the recent policies of Prime Minister Modi's government, which have alienated the Kashmiris, it remains to be seen whether the expanded connectivity from the bridge and rail link will be seen as a positive.
India has invested millions into modernizing its infrastructure. In February, Modi inaugurated the first section of a 1,386-kilometer expressway linking the capital New Delhi to the financial hub of Mumbai. The 246-kilometer section alone cost $1.4 billion. Construction is also underway for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, which aims to decongest India's railway network. The Chenab Bridge is already being touted as a prime example of Modi's efforts to expand development in the country.