ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, marking his first trip to the region since last month’s military escalation between India and Pakistan.
According to an official statement from the Indian Prime Minister’s Office, Modi will inaugurate the Chenab Bridge — touted as the world’s highest railway arch — and flag off a special railway service designed to connect the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India.
The visit comes less than a month after a four-day conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, which ended in a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
The conflict erupted when India accused Pakistan of supporting an attack in Pahalgam, where 26 tourists were killed — a claim Islamabad strongly denied.
In response, India launched airstrikes on Pakistani cities, triggering retaliatory action by Pakistan’s military.
Strategic Rail Link Touted as Engineering Feat
The newly completed 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line features 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, including the dramatic Chenab Bridge — a 1,315-metre-long structure rising 359 metres above the riverbed. Indian Railways described the $24 million project as one of the most complex civil engineering undertakings in its history.
Guinness World Records has recognised the Chenab Bridge as the highest railway bridge in the world, surpassing China’s Najiehe Bridge.
The rail line is expected to reduce the travel time from Katra to Srinagar to just three hours, significantly enhancing movement of civilians, goods, and troops in the region.
Security, Logistics, and Strategic Implications
The project carries deep strategic implications, especially as it begins from Udhampur — home to the Indian Army’s Northern Command — and extends into the conflict-sensitive valley.
Officials say it will revolutionise logistics in the high-altitude Ladakh region bordering China, where India has faced increasing tensions and military confrontations.
With this visit and infrastructure push, Modi’s government appears set on reinforcing India’s grip over the contested territory despite opposition from Kashmiri resistance groups and growing unrest in the region.
