Fearing the worst, Indian Railways turns to steel for safety
It took a major mishap to get things rolling, but now, Indian Railways is really on the move. Indian Railways is planning to alter the quality of the bridges just a week after a partial collapse of the Andheri Gokhale bridge took place that led to the death of a woman.
It took a major mishap to get things rolling, but now, Indian Railways is really on the move. Indian Railways is planning to alter the quality of the bridges just a week after a partial collapse of the Andheri Gokhale bridge took place that led to the death of a woman. Now, in Mumbai, Indian Railways plans to go for stainless steel to build not just foot overbridges, but also roads. If this is implemented then this would be the first such move in the country.
Indian Railways, after investigating the accident at the Gokhale bridge, found that cables in the collapsed weighed over 500 kg plus paver blocks put extreme pressure on the footpath of the bridge which was made up of mild steel.
After the accident took place, Union Railway minister Piyush Goyal and senior Indian Railways officials from the Railway Board visited the spot and later took the decision of building the bridges with stainless steel, which is a much stronger and flexible material.
The Railway Board has asked both the Western, Central Railways and rail planning agency of Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation to study it and immediately start the work on first such bridge, said a senior railway official.
“With the correct composition of stainless steel used, it will never corrode or rust. The only downside is the cost which will make it very expensive,” revealed a senior railway official to DNA.
Watch this Zee Business video here:
Under Mumbai's climatic conditions the average lifespan of a cantilever bridge which is made of mild steel bridges is around 40 years. The British-built bridges made of black rock have lasted for nearly 130 years. However, the Indian Railways claims that the life of a stainless steel bridge can go up to 200 years or more if properly maintained. The cost would go up at least by 20-25 times than the regular mild steel.
The Indian Railways is already in touch with government companies like SAIL and other private steel manufacturers for the same. In fact, the authorities are already chalking out plans to construct the first such across India or even world.
Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.