Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir: A Vande Bharat train on Thursday ran at nearly 100 kmph across the world's highest railway bridge, the Chenab Bridge.

The train achieved the speed during operations on the 111-km-long new Broad Gauge rail section between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Banihal under the Jammu Division of Northern Railway.

The Railway Ministry has approved an increase in the maximum permissible speed to 100 kmph on the entire Katra-Banihal section.

Previously, trains were permitted to operate at a maximum speed of 85 kmph between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Sangaldan, while the permissible speed on the Sangaldan-Banihal section was 75 kmph.

The speed enhancement is expected to improve travel time and operational efficiency along the strategically important rail corridor connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.

The Chenab Bridge, located in Reasi district, comprises a 530-metre approach bridge and a 785-metre deck arch bridge.

With its deck standing 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the riverbed, the bridge is the world's highest railway bridge. It is located between Kauri and Bakkal railway stations on the Jammu–Baramulla railway line.

The bridge was built at a cost of around ₹1,486 crore ($150 million), with the project overseen by the Konkan Railway Corporation under Indian Railways.

Construction began in 2017, with the base supports completed in November that year. The main arch was completed by April 2021, while the entire bridge was completed in August 2022.

Trial runs on the bridge began in June 2024, before it was officially opened to rail traffic on June 6, 2025, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.