SAIL Powers Chenab Rail Bridge with 16,000 Tonnes of Steel Supply

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has supplied an unprecedented 16,000 tonnes of steel to construct the world’s tallest rail bridge over the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir as its massive contribution towards one of India’s most ambitious engineering ventures.

The news comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened several key infrastructure projects including the Chenab rail bridge and India’s first cable-stayed arch bridge, and launched the first train to the Kashmir Valley.

Of the steel that was supplied, Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) supplied about 12,400 tonnes, a top company executive confirmed on Friday. The supply comprised 6,690 tonnes of TMT bars, 1,793 tonnes of structural steel, and 7,511 tonnes of plates, hot strip mill products, and chequered plates.

SAIL and Bhilai Steel Plant are particularly proud to have played their part in this iconic project,” a BSP spokesperson said. “Our contribution included such key materials as plates, TMT bars and structural steel, which are the backbone of a project of this scale.”.

The Chenab bridge stretches 1.3 kilometres and rises 359 metres above the riverbed 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower. Bred to withstand wind speeds of up to 266 kmph and Category-V seismic forces, it is a testament to contemporary engineering and strategic infrastructure development in a difficult Himalayan environment.

Bhilai alone supplied 5,922 tonnes of TMT bars, 6,454 tonnes of plates, and 56 tonnes of structural steel. Other SAIL plants, IISCO Steel Plant (Burnpur), Durgapur Steel Plant, Rourkela Steel Plant, and Bokaro Steel Ltd, together supplied the rest of the volume of steel.

The Chenab bridge is a critical link in the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail project and will most likely significantly improve connectivity and economic integration in the area.