Are you safe: Govt. admit that over 37,000 Railway Bridges are over 100 years old

April 4, 2018:

In last 5 years only a total of 3,675 bridges have been repaired or strengthened.

Can you believe that there are over 37,000 railway bridges which are 100 years old.

32 per cent of them being in the Northern Zone, as informed by government before the Parliament today.

A written reply submitted in the Lok Sabha by, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said that there are 37,162 railway bridges in the network which are a century old.

Railway has maintained the age of a bridge does not have any direct relevance on the physical condition of the bridge. There is a well-established system of inspection of bridges.

Reportedly all these bridges are inspected twice a year, one before the onset of monsoon and one detailed inspection after the monsoon.

Northern Railway Zone has 8,691 such bridges, followed by the Central Zone with 4,710 bridges, South Central Zone with 3,040, Eastern Zone with 3,119, and Western Zone with 2,858 bridges, he said.

Drives for repair, strengthening, rehabilitation and rebuilding of railway bridges is undertaken whenever so warranted by their physical condition and if these measures take long, then safety measures like speed restrictions are imposed, the minister said.

During the last five years (2012-2013 to 2016-2017), a total of 3,675 bridges have been repaired or strengthened.

By April 1, 2017, Gohain said a total of 3,017 railway bridges are sanctioned for repair or rebuilt.