The Northeast Frontier Railway has completed girder launching work on the Noney Bridge in Manipur, the world’s tallest railway pier bridge, marking the end of the launching phase across all eight spans of the structure.
Located on the under-construction Jiribam–Imphal railway line, the bridge features piers P3 and P4 each standing at 141 metres, surpassing global records. The steel span configuration of 1×71.5m + 5×106m + 1×71.5m + 1×30m has been designed to tackle the region’s complex topography and seismic challenges, spanning steep valleys and unstable slopes.
The Noney Bridge forms a critical part of the 111-kilometre Jiribam–Imphal project aimed at improving connectivity to Manipur’s capital. The Jiribam–Khongsang section of over 55 km was commissioned in September 2022 and currently handles regular freight movement. The remaining sections, Khongsang–Noney (18.25 km) and Noney–Imphal (37.02 km) are expected to open in the coming years.
Construction has involved significant challenges including difficult site access, heavy monsoon conditions and fragile geology, requiring engineers to adopt innovative methods and technologies throughout execution.
Once fully operational, the railway line is expected to ease transport challenges in Manipur, reduce dependence on landslide-prone roads, and boost trade and mobility across the region. Civil society groups have also raised concerns about environmental and community impacts of large-scale construction in ecologically sensitive zones, a consideration that will shape how projects of this scale are evaluated going forward.
