Guwahati, Nov 30 (LatestNewsX) – The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) announced that it has carried out thorough underwater and structural checks on a number of key railway bridges with the help of Remotely Operated Robotic Vehicle (RORV) technology. Officials highlighted that the survey covered famous structures such as the Saraighat Bridge spanning the Brahmaputra, along with several vital bridges belonging to the Alipurduar (APDJ) Division in North Bengal.
Cap. public relations officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma explained that many of these bridges have submerged substructures, so inspecting them beneath the water is crucial for evaluating the condition of foundations, wells, and piers. The historic Saraighat Bridge, the first rail‑and‑road link across the Brahmaputra, stretches 1.45 km and connects Pandu to Amingaon. For this bridge, the NFR employed a blend of RORV scouting, LiDAR mapping, thermal imaging, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) testing.
The assessment covered pier caps, well foundations, underwater scour zones, superstructure stress points, and deck elements. In the APDJ Division, 18 important bridges were examined in depth, with the RORV capturing high‑resolution images of submerged piers, riverbeds and any potential defects, Sharma added.
Across all inspected structures, no significant underwater faults were identified. During 2024‑25, the NFR completed RORV inspections on 13 bridges, and by 2025‑26, it has already examined an additional 34 bridges. These findings sharpen the railway’s structural health monitoring and aid in scheduling preventive upkeep.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to deploying cutting‑edge inspection techniques to secure the safety and durability of major bridges throughout the region. The use of RORV combined with advanced digital tools represents a decisive advance in scientific bridge assessment. NFR will keep fortifying its inspection programme to protect essential connectivity corridors, especially standout structures like the Saraighat Bridge and other critical links that underpin rail operations in the Northeast. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) serves the Northeastern states as well as seven districts of West Bengal and five districts in northern Bihar. sc/uk
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
