Top 10 Longest Railway Bridges in India 2022

Longest Railway Bridges in India

A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually something that is otherwise difficult or impossible to cross.

Types of Bridges

There are many different designs of bridges, each serving a particular purpose and applicable to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on factors such as the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, and the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it. The simplest and earliest types of bridges were stepping stones.

Bridges can be categorized in several different ways. Common categories include the type of structural elements used, by what they carry, whether they are fixed or movable, and by the materials used. A bridge can be categorized by what it is designed to carry, such as trains, pedestrian or road traffic. The materials used to build the structure are also used to categorize bridges. The estimated life of bridges varies between 25 and 80 years depending on location and material.

Top 10 Longest Railway Bridges in India

The Bhupen Hazarika Setu, also referred to as the Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, is a beam bridge in  India.  It is the longest bridge in India stretching over 9.15 km over the Brahmaputra river connecting the northeast states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

List of Longest Railway Bridges in India

1. Dhola Sadiya Bridge

The Bhupen Hazarika Setu, also referred to as the Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, is the longest Bridge in India. The bridge is built over  Lohit River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River. At 9.15 kilometres (5.69 mi) in length, it connects the northeast states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. This bridge was built at the cost of  Rs.  1000 cr. and it took five years to complete.

2. Dibang River Bridge

Dibang River Bridge is a beam bridge which is the second longest bridge at 6.2 km in length. Dibang Rive Bridge connects Bomjir and Malek villages of Arunachal Pradesh. It thus provides all-weather connectivity between Dambuk and Roing in eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh. It was completed in 2018 as part of NH13 Trans-Arunachal Highway.

3. Mahatma Gandhi Setu

As the name suggests, Mahatma Gandhi Setu or Gandhi Setu or Ganga Setu is buikt over Ganga river in Bihar. It is third longest bridge in India and is 5.75 km long connecting Patna in the south to Hajipur in the north in Bihar. It was constructed during the Indira Gandhi Government and was the longest bridge till 2017. The total expenditure to built this bridge was ₹87.22 crore.

4. Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL)

Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) is officially known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link. It is the 4th longest bridge in India with 5.6 km length. It is a cable-stayed bridge with pre-stressed concrete-steel viaducts on either side. It connects  Bandra in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai with Worli in South Mumbai.

5. Bogibeel Bridge

Bogibeel Bridge is a 4.94 km long bridge that links Dhemaji district and Dibrugarh district in the Indian state of Assam. It is a rail cum road bridge over the Brahmaputra river.  It is situated in an earthquake-prone area so, it is India’s first bridge to have fully welded steel-concrete support beams that can withstand earthquakes of magnitudes up to 7 on the Richter scale. It is Asia’s second longest rail-cum-road bridge.

6. Vikramshila Setu

Vikramshila Setu  is 6th longest bridge in India stretching 4.7 km long. Vikramshila Setu is a bridge across the Ganges, near Bhagalpur in the Indian state of Bihar named after the ancient Mahavihara of Vikramashila which was established by King Dharmapala. It serves as a link between NH 33 and NH 31.

7. Vembanad Rail Bridge

Vembanad Rail Bridge is the 7th longest railway bridges in India that connects Edappally and Vallarpadam in Kochi, Kerala. The construction of the bridge started in the year 2007, and it took three years to complete. The bridge has regular traffic of 15 trains. The length of the bridge is estimated to be 4,620 meters. Also, Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India.

8. Digha–Sonpur Bridge

Digha–Sonpur Bridge is also known as J.P Setu. It is a rail-cum-road bridge across river Ganga, connecting Digha Ghat in Patna and Pahleja Ghat in Sonpur, Saran district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is named after Indian independence activist Jayaprakash Narayan. Digha–Sonpur Bridge provides a link between northern and southern parts of Bihar. This bridge of 4,556 metres length is the second longest rail-cum-road bridge in India, after Bogibeel Bridge in Assam.

9. Arrah–Chhapra Bridge

Arrah–Chhapra Bridge is also known as Veer Kunwar Singh Setu. This bridge is built across Ganga river connecting Arrah and Chhapra of Bihar. It is the longest multi-span extradosed bridge in the world with a main bridge length of 1,920 m. Arrah Chhapra Bridge reduced the distance between Chapra and Arrah from 130 km to 40 km.

10. Godavari Bridge

The Godavari Fourth Bridge or Kovvur–Rajahmundry 4th Bridge is built across Godavari River in Rajahmundry, India. This 4.13 km long bridge connects Kovvur to Diwancheruvu Junction in Rajamahendravaram. This bridge was constructed, to reduce road distance between Kolkata & Chennai by at least 150 kilometres.

Longest Railway Bridges in India: FAQ

Q1. First longest railway bridge in india?
Ans. Bogibeel Bridge is the first longest railway bridge in india.

Q2. Second longest railway bridge in india?
Ans. Vembanad Rail Bridge is the second longest railway bridge in india.