Chenab Bridge gets Golden Joint: On August 13, 2022, the Chenab Railway bridge's "Golden Joint" which was decked with the national flag to celebrate the “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” was officially launched.

Note: The term 'golden joint' was coined by civil engineers working on the project. It's the world's highest railway bridge.

Key Points:

• Chenab Railway Bridge is being constructed as part of the Kashmir Railway project.
• The project is part of the ambitious 272-km long railway line from Udhampur to Baramulla joining Jammu with the Kashmir valley as an all-weather highspeed alternative, named the 'Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project'.
• It has been built on Chenab River, at a height of 359 m.
• It is the highest railway bridge in the world. It is located in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Its base support was completed in November 2017 and the construction of Arch was completed in April 2021.
• Rail traffic is likely to start in December 2022.
• According to the figures shared by the Union Government, the total cost of construction for the Chenab Railway Bridge stands at ₹1,486 crores.
• This project was declared a national project in 2002.
• It is directed by the Northern Railway.

Key Features of the Bridge:

• It is a steel and concrete arch bridge.
• Around 30,350 tonnes of steel, comprising 10,620 tonnes has been used in the bridge to build the gigantic arch and 14,500 tonnes for the bridge deck. 
• The bridge comprises 93 deck segments, each weighing around 85 tonnes, launched simultaneously from both ends of the valley over the massive steel arch.
• Both ends of the bridge has been connected with the help of High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG) bolts. It is marked as the ‘golden joint’.
• The unique design of the World’s Highest Railway Bridge allows it to withstand high wind speeds up to 266 Km/Hour.
• It has been constructed near Kauri village upstream of Salal Dam.
• Over 1300 workers and 300 engineers have been actively working on the Chenab Railway Bridge project and the work has neared 98% completion.
• Once completed, The Chenab Railway Bridge, once completed will be the highest in the world at 359m above the river bed level.
• This unique distinction will also take the bridge to be 35 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Significance:

• This bridge is significant because Indian Railways built it on a longitudinal gradient and transition curve for the first time.
• Usually, bridges are built on a straight or curved platform with uniform radius.
• This iconic bridge involved complex engineering,
• Chenab Bridge faced multiple obstacles. Starting from the geology, the terrain and the hostile climate, the engineers and railway officials have faced it all to come to this moment.
• Keeping the height in view, sophisticated automatic signaling system has been installed at both the ends which will not let the trains cross the bridge, in case wind speed reaches 90kmph.