Vande Bharat crosses Chenab and Anji bridges at 100 kmph as Katra-Banihal speed limit raised

Key facts

• The maximum permitted speed on the 111-km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal railway section has been raised from 75 kmph to 100 kmph, over a year after the section was inaugurated in June 2025.
• Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26401/26404) set a record by crossing the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge, and the Anji Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, at 100 kmph.
• The 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore, comprises 36 tunnels totalling 119 km and 943 bridges.
• The Chenab Rail Bridge stands 359 metres above the riverbed, is 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, is 1,315 metres long, can withstand wind speeds up to 260 kmph, and has an anticipated service life of 120 years.
• The Anji Khad Bridge measures 725 metres in length, stands 331 metres above the riverbed, and is supported by 96 high-tensile cables.
• A specially configured Vande Bharat Express for the Katra-Srinagar route can operate at temperatures down to minus 20 degrees Celsius, with heated windshields, insulated toilets and seismic dampers.