Lok Sabha Question No. 2181 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-03
Subject: Maintenance of Old Railway Bridges Tracks
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: J.C. DIVAKAR REDDY, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

- 2181.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2181 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2015

## MAINTENANCE OF OLD RAILWAY BRIDGES TRACKS

- SHRI J.C. DIVAKAR REDDY: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)    whether the Railways undertake regular inspections of the physical condition of the railway bridges and tracks in the country, particularly that of the old railway bridges;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  such  old  and  dilapidated  bridges  /  tracks,  State  /  UT  / Zone-wise;
- (c) the  details  of  action  taken  to  repair  /  reconstruct  the  old  railway  bridges during the last three years and the current year, zone-wise; and
- (d)     the funds allocated / spent for the said work in order to prevent any type of accidents and to ensure the safety of rail passengers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2181 BY SHRI J.C.  DIVAKAR  REDDY,  SHRI  SANJAY  DHOTRE  & SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB  TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 03.08.2015 REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF OLD RAILWAY BRIDGES TRACKS

(a) & (b): There is a well established system of inspection of railway bridges and tracks on Indian Railways.  All the bridges are inspected twice a year, one before the onset of monsoon and one detailed inspection after the monsoon.  In addition, the detailed technical inspection of certain bridges is also carried out at specified periodicity by the designated officials.    Similarly, all the railway tracks are also inspected  regularly  by  the  designated  officials  as  per  the  laid  down  inspection schedule.  The age of the bridge does not have any direct relevance on the physical condition of the bridge and the repair / strengthening / rehabilitation / rebuilding of bridges  is  undertaken  whenever  so  warranted  by  their  physical  condition  as ascertained  during  these  inspections.    Presently,    2534  railway  bridges  are sanctioned for repair / strengthening/rehabilitation/rebuilding which include bridges of all age.  Zone-wise details are as under:

| Zonal Railway             |   Central |   Eastern |   East Central |   East Coast |   Northern |   North Central |   North Eastern |   Northeast Frontier |
|---------------------------|-----------|-----------|----------------|--------------|------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
| No. of bridges sanctioned |       164 |       239 |            445 |          100 |        191 |              61 |               8 |                   97 |

| Zonal Railway             |   North Western |   Southern |   South Central |   South Eastern |   South East Central |   South Western |   Western |   West Central |
|---------------------------|-----------------|------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|-----------------|-----------|----------------|
| No. of bridges sanctioned |             110 |        160 |             225 |             159 |                   34 |              72 |       250 |            219 |

Track renewal is a continuous activity.  Tracks are renewed as and when a stretch of track becomes due for renewal on age-cum-condition basis i.e. on the basis of traffic  carried  over  the  track  and  physical  condition  of  track  etc.  except  Meter Gauge (MG) tracks which are sanctioned for Gauge conversion.

(c) & (d): The year-wise and zone-wise details of bridges repaired / strengthened / rehabilitated  /  rebuilt  and  expenditure  incurred  on  same  during  last  three  years and current year is as under:

| Zonal Railway      | No. of bridges repaired / strengthened / rehabilitated / rebuilt   | No. of bridges repaired / strengthened / rehabilitated / rebuilt   | No. of bridges repaired / strengthened / rehabilitated / rebuilt   | No. of bridges repaired / strengthened / rehabilitated / rebuilt   | Expenditure ( in crores of ` )   | Expenditure ( in crores of ` )   | Expenditure ( in crores of ` )   | Expenditure ( in crores of ` )   |
|--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|                    | 2012-13                                                            | 2013-14                                                            | 2014-15                                                            | 2015-16 (till June'2015)                                           | 2012-13                          | 2013-14                          | 2014-15                          | 2015-16 (till June'2015)         |
| Central            | 31                                                                 | 26                                                                 | 20                                                                 | 6                                                                  | 10.62                            | 9.38                             | 13.11                            | 1.92                             |
| Eastern            | 87                                                                 | 61                                                                 | 52                                                                 | 19                                                                 | 80.16                            | 76.07                            | 98.61                            | 11.40                            |
| East Central       | 43                                                                 | 29                                                                 | 34                                                                 | 5                                                                  | 40.46                            | 62.61                            | 55.23                            | 10.76                            |
| East Coast         | 40                                                                 | 40                                                                 | 35                                                                 | 6                                                                  | 12.44                            | 17.73                            | 20.54                            | 3.35                             |
| Northern           | 74                                                                 | 87                                                                 | 58                                                                 | 20                                                                 | 18.54                            | 36.26                            | 20.48                            | 4.35                             |
| North Central      | 32                                                                 | 47                                                                 | 38                                                                 | 1                                                                  | 13.46                            | 16.60                            | 12.90                            | 2.34                             |
| North Eastern      | 0                                                                  | 4                                                                  | 0                                                                  | 0                                                                  | 8.61                             | 17.22                            | 32.64                            | 5.23                             |
| Northeast Frontier | 32                                                                 | 28                                                                 | 55                                                                 | 8                                                                  | 15.91                            | 10.25                            | 18.94                            | 2.04                             |
| North Western      | 69                                                                 | 37                                                                 | 32                                                                 | 5                                                                  | 8.88                             | 8.45                             | 14.30                            | 2.09                             |
| Southern           | 38                                                                 | 45                                                                 | 50                                                                 | 15                                                                 | 17.18                            | 25.33                            | 27.11                            | 13.91                            |
| South Central      | 89                                                                 | 77                                                                 | 56                                                                 | 40                                                                 | 15.33                            | 18.22                            | 14.68                            | 2.14                             |
| South Eastern      | 86                                                                 | 106                                                                | 62                                                                 | 14                                                                 | 15.86                            | 17.24                            | 16.83                            | 2.20                             |
| South East Central | 46                                                                 | 33                                                                 | 42                                                                 | 6                                                                  | 7.23                             | 7.39                             | 9.21                             | 2.67                             |
| South Western      | 50                                                                 | 23                                                                 | 27                                                                 | 3                                                                  | 14.82                            | 15.96                            | 28.44                            | 4.06                             |
| Western            | 32                                                                 | 46                                                                 | 46                                                                 | 26                                                                 | 20.32                            | 26.06                            | 26.16                            | 3.85                             |
| West Central       | 57                                                                 | 50                                                                 | 65                                                                 | 25                                                                 | 22.34                            | 25.42                            | 24.93                            | 3.59                             |
| Total              | 806                                                                | 739                                                                | 672                                                                | 199                                                                | 322.19                           | 390.19                           | 434.11                           | 75.90                            |

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