New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS): Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday informed the Rajya Sabha that railways has sanctioned 4,168 bridges for repair and strengthening this year at an estimated cost of Rs 809 crore.

In a written reply to a question in the Upper House, Goyal said: "There are over 1,50,746 railway bridges on Indian Railways' network as on April 1. And there is a well-established system of inspection of railway bridges.

He said, all the bridges are inspected twice a year, first before the onset of monsoon and secondly detailed inspection after the monsoon by the designated officials and repair or strengthening or rehabilitation or rebuilding of railway bridges is a continuous process and is undertaken whenever so warranted by their physical condition as ascertained during these inspections.

"As on April 1 this year, a total of 4,168 bridges are sanctioned for repair or strengthening or rehabilitation or rebuilding," he said, adding that the data are maintained by zonal railway wise and not area-wise.

The minister said that Rs 809.05 crore has been allocated for the repair/strengthening/rehabilitation/rebuilding the bridges.

Sharing the zone wise figures, Goyal said, the railways has allocated Rs 83.5 crore to Central Railway, Rs 78.31 crore to Western Railway, Rs 71.06 crore to Eastern Railway, Rs 69.04 crore to Northeast Frontier Railway.