Lok Sabha Question No. 8 (STARRED), answered on 2016-02-24
Subject: Rail Bridges
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 8 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.02.2016

## RAIL BRIDGES

- †*8. SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) the  number  of  Railway  bridges  in  various  zones  of  Indian  Railways, Zone-wise;

(b) whether  any  study/survey  has  been  conducted  to  assess  the  useful life, repair and renovation of bridges, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has introduced any scheme for reconstruction/strengthening  of  rail  bridges,  State-wise  especially  in  the backward  and  tribal  areas  of  Maharashtra,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  as  on date; and

(d) the funds allocated and utilised for the said schemes during the last three years and the current financial year along with status of such bridges?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)

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

*****

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 8 BY SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.02.2016 REGARDING RAILWAY BRIDGES

## (a):  As  on  01/04/2015,  there  are  1,38,912  railway  bridges  on  Indian  Railways. Zone-wise breakup is as under:

| Zonal Railway   |   Central |   Eastern |   East Central |   East Coast |   Northern |   North Central |   North Eastern |   Northeast Frontier |
|-----------------|-----------|-----------|----------------|--------------|------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
| No. of          |      9963 |      4710 |           7347 |         9398 |      18521 |            5594 |            3842 |                 6650 |

| Zonal Railway   |   North Western |   Southern |   South Central |   South Eastern |   South East Central |   South Western |   Western |   West Central |
|-----------------|-----------------|------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|-----------------|-----------|----------------|
| No. of bridges  |            5892 |      16014 |           14386 |            7461 |                 5212 |            7241 |     10620 |           6061 |

(b) & (c): Inspection and maintenance of bridges includes assessment of its life, and repair /renovation thereof is a continuous process. There is a well established system  of  inspection  of  railway  bridges  on  Indian  Railways.    All  the  bridges  are inspected  twice  a  year  -  once  before  the  onset  of  monsoon  and  once  after  the monsoon.    Repair/  strengthening/  rehabilitation  or  rebuilding  of  the  bridges  is planned if the condition of the bridge so warrants. The work is taken up through Works Programme and in urgent cases through out-of-turn sanction.

As on 01.04.2015, 2534 railway bridges are sanctioned for repair/ strengthening/rehabilitation/rebuilding. Information on Railway Bridges is maintained zone-wise and not State-wise. Zone-wise details are as under*:

| Zonal Railway   |   Central |   Eastern |   East Central |   East Coast |   Northern |   North Central |   North Eastern |   Northeast Frontier |
|-----------------|-----------|-----------|----------------|--------------|------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|
| No. of          |       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 sanction ed |             110 |        160 |             225 |             159 |                   34 |              72 |       250 |            219 |

*Note: Maharashtra is covered in Central Railway, Western Railway, South Central Railway, South East Central Railway and South Western Railway.

## (d): Number of bridges repaired/strengthened/rehabilitated/rebuilt and funds allocated/spent for the same during last three years & current financial year are as under:

| Year    | No. of bridges repaired / strengthened / rehabilitated/rebuilt   |   Budget Allocation (RE) (in crores of ` ) | Expenditure (in crores of ` )   |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 2012-13 | 806                                                              |                                     339.67 | 322.18                          |
| 2013-14 | 739                                                              |                                     382.69 | 390.19                          |
| 2014-15 | 672                                                              |                                     465.03 | 434.11                          |
| 2015-16 | 596 (upto Jan'16)                                                |                                     491.39 | 341.78 (upto Jan'16)            |

*****