Indian Railways Builds Viewing Platforms for 359-Meter-High Chenab Bridge

Indian Railways is constructing a series of observation decks on the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, which spans 1,300 metres and soars 359 metres above the Chenab River. The new platforms are slated for completion later this year, according to a railway spokesperson.

The Chenab Bridge, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2023 after 20 years of construction, is part of the 272‑kilometre Udhampur‑Srinagar‑Baramulla line that cut distances and slashed travel time between Jammu and Srinagar to under three hours on the Vande Bharat Express.

But the bridge is more than a conduit; it is an engineering marvel engineered to withstand winds of up to 260 km/h and an 8.0‑magnitude quake. The observation decks will let visitors look down on the 359‑metre drop and see the steel arch span that dwarfs even the Eiffel Tower.

An adjoining museum under construction will chronicle the bridge’s 20‑year saga, showcasing blueprint stages, tunnel drills, and seismic testing. The museum aims to give tourists an immersive understanding of how the rail line was coaxed through 36 tunnels and over 900 bridges in a seismically active Himalayan corridor.

Tourism operators in Katra have already tapped the new attraction, promising guided tours that pair the train ride with a stop at the decks. Indian Railways will open the platforms later this year, after a final safety audit, and the government expects a surge in pilgrim traffic to the Vaishno Devi shrine.