The Shakedown- The Indian rail network has 1,20,000 bridges nationwide. Over 51,000 are from the 1800s.
- 262 declared 'distressed', needing immediate renovation or replacement
- Repair and replacement of old bridges was to have been completed in 2004. But nothing has been done so far.
- Most ageing bridges in UP, Bihar, Bengal
The railways don't have operational bridge inspection units, essential for ascertaining the condition of bridges
How safe is rail travel in the country? Under Laloo Prasad Yadav's watch, the Indian Railways has been able to boast of a healthy balance sheet. But when a rusty 150-year-old overhead road bridge collapses, killing 35 people, it's time to ask questions. Especially on areas neglected by the railways, like "distressed" bridges. It was last fortnight's accident where bogies of the Jamalpur-Howrah Express were crushed in Bhagalpur, Bihar, that brought the issue back into focus. The Bhagalpur bridge had been on the chopping block for the last four years after several committees on rail safety had recommended abandoning it. It's just that the railways were rather slow in getting to dismantling it.
At current count, the railways are running trains over 1,20,000 bridges nationwide. Of these, over 51,000 are of 19th century vintage. An official inspection found 262 of them "distressed", needing immediate rehabilitation through extensive repairs or replacement. A grim enough situation for an official in the rail ministry's safety directorate to comment: "Each day the trains run over these old bridges without mishap...is a day when an accident was averted. Many bridges not in the distressed category are also in very bad shape. Incidentally, many of the train accidents in recent years have involved bridges which were not in the distressed list."
Some of the accidents in the last five years involving bridges:
- In September '02, four coaches of the Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani Express fell into the Dhave river, killing 120 people. Though over 100 years old, the bridge was described as in good condition, and was inspected days before the accident.
- In June '01, an old bridge over Kadalundi river in Kerala collapsed as the Mangalore-Madras Mail was passing over it, killing 52. The railways had ignored warnings from the Bridges Rehabilitation Committee in 1989.
- In May 2001, the Patna-bound Shramjeevi Express went off a bridge near Jaunpur, killing 12. The bridge was over 100 years old.
It's not as if the railways are not aware of the magnitude of the problem. Various safety committees have warned about the poor condition of its bridges. The obvious recommendation: bridges be subjected to a thorough inspection, and then either strengthened or replaced. One of the first committees, the Kunzru Committee, gave its recommendations way back in 1962. There have been several others which have reiterated the warnings and advice but nothing much has moved over the years. There was the Wanchoo Committee in '68, the Sikri Committee in '78, and the H.R. Khanna Committee which gave two reports, one in '99 and the last one in '01. In between, in 1989, there was a committee specifically constituted to chalk out a programme for rehabilitation of bridges.
The '99 Khanna Committee report had emphasised that the bridge rehabilitation work must be completed within five years to ensure passenger safety. Eight years on, the railways are nowhere close to the target of strengthening and replacing the distressed bridges identified. In fact, the railways were asked to acquire latest bridge inspection units to carry out thorough checks. This was after conventional inspection methods were not found to be foolproof, especially in checking for corrosion of girders, piers or pillars. As a railway engineer in charge of bridges put it, "The railways need 16 inspection units, one for each zone. So far, they have imported just two units...and even those are not operational. It may take a couple of years for even the two to be operational."
The old Yamuna bridge in Delhi, one of the many of 19th century vintage
And far from solutions, recent decisions taken by the powers that be may only compound the problem. Like the recent plan by Union rail minister Laloo Prasad Yadav to increase the axle load of goods wagons from 20 MT to 23 MT to boost profits. The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of the railways had raised objections, saying it will increase the load on bridges. The ministry, however, pushed ahead with its plans without the requisite RDSO clearance.
In a letter to the Railway Board, the RDSO said the impact of the extra load could be disastrous on long span girder bridges (over 5,000 in number). It also noted that the railways had failed to carry out any studies to ascertain the impact of the added tonnage on damaged and distressed bridges.
Laloo Yadav was not available for comment. But sources close to him insist that safety is not being compromised. "The wagons were anyway carrying the extra load but it was all being done illegally. Now, at least the railways are earning revenue from it," says one of the minister's aides. About renovation of bridges, he says, the work is in progress with funds allocated under the Special Railway Safety Fund (SRSF).
According to the official, the railways have set a new target for completing repairs of bridges, March '08. The target had to be revised since not even half the work has been done. Apart from the 262 distressed bridges, another 1,700 need to be rebuilt and 2,000 strengthened. He maintains that all bridges, including old and distressed ones, are being inspected thoroughly once a year at various levels. But over the years, such assurances have rarely translated into any action. Almost like a ritual, railway manuals and procedure books are opened every time an accident occurs. But the plans drawn up are as quickly forgotten. Till another bridge collapses.