Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express officially started operations on Friday. This service became possible after the 272 km Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail line was completed. This massive engineering project includes the world-famous Chenab Bridge, recognised as the highest railway arch bridge globally. What happens when a determined woman engineer faces the impossible? She creates history. Meet Dr. Madhavi Latha Gali, the brilliant mind behind India’s engineering masterpiece, the Chenab Rail Bridge.
Madhavi Latha’s Historical Achievement
On Friday, June 6, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world‘s highest single-arch railway bridge. Standing majestically at 359 m above the Chenab River, this incredible structure connects with Srinagar. To put this in perspective, the bridge tower is 35 m higher than Paris’s Eiffel Tower.
The numbers are truly staggering. This 1,315 m long bridge cost ₹1,486 crore to build and took nearly two decades to complete. Built to last 120 years, it can withstand winds up to 260 km per hour and resist earthquakes, making it one of the most resilient structures on earth.
Meet Madhavi Latha Gali: Women Behind The Wonder
Dr. Madhavi Latha Gali, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, dedicated 17 years of her life to making this dream a reality. As the primary geotechnical consultant, she faced challenges that would make most people think twice.
The project wasn’t straightforward. Dr. Latha and her team started without a concrete design plan. As explained in her research article, published in May 2025, “The construction of a civil engineering marvel, like the Chenab Bridge, poses many challenges from planning to completion. A rigid design with fixed dimensions and a predetermined solution would not be feasible, considering the continuously evolving geological and geotechnical conditions.”
Innovation Through Adaptation
How do you build a bridge when you don’t know what challenges lie ahead? Dr. Latha’s answer was simple: a revolutionary “design-as-you-go approach.” This flexible method allowed her team to adapt to challenging conditions throughout the 17-year construction period.
The bridge features an unsupported steel arch, spanning half a kilometre, resting on abutments and eight piers built into mountain slopes. Dr. Latha worked closely with Northern Railway and Afcons Infrastructure to make this ambitious vision a reality.
Breaking Barriers Before Building
Dr. Latha’s journey at IISc began with an unexpected challenge. When she joined the department as the first female faculty member in 2004, her biggest hurdle wasn’t academic — it was finding a bathroom.
Back then, there were no exclusive toilets for women in the department. There were only men’s toilets, IISc noted on its website. Dr. Madhavi Latha recalled: “I had to really fight to get a women’s toilet in the Geotechnical Engineering building.”
This early struggle reflects her determination to break barriers and create space for women in engineering.
Today, Dr. Madhavi Latha serves as the chair of the Centre for Sustainable Technology at IISc. Her efforts have transformed the department and gender dynamics. “I would say the ratio is 40-60,” she proudly states about the current male-female student ratio.
She has made her lab more inclusive, ensuring female students receive assistance with heavy lifting during experiments. “Being a woman, I make sure I understand what they need,” she says, keeping her door always open for female students.
Recognition And Legacy
Dr. Latha‘s achievements extend far beyond the Chenab Bridge. She holds multiple prestigious awards, including being the first recipient of the Best Woman Researcher in Geotechnical Engineering award. She is also listed among India’s top 75 women in the STEAM fields.
Economist Sanjeev Sanyal highlighted her dedication on social media: “Madhavi Latha, one of the awesome engineers who helped the Chenab Bridge. She began looking at the issue 17 years ago. The bridge has four times the steel of the Eiffel Tower, held together in a mountainous, earthquake-prone zone.”
A Bridge To The Future
The Chenab Bridge represents more than engineering excellence — it symbolises perseverance, innovation, and the power of never giving up. Dr. Madhavi Latha’s 17-year journey, from fighting for basic facilities to designing world-class infrastructure, proves that determination can move mountains — literally.
As trains now cross safely, 359 m above the Chenab River, they carry not just passengers, but the legacy of a woman who refused to accept limitations and instead chose to build bridges — both literal and metaphorical — for future generations.
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