New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Four Indian Railways zones account for about 55 percent of failures of overhead equipment because most of them are over 40 years old, parliament was told Friday.

These are Eastern, South Eastern, East Central and North Central Railway, Minister of State for Railways Bharatsinh Solanki informed the Rajya Sabha.

He said the aged overhead equipment ‘contributed about 55 percent of failure cases during 2009-10’.

He added that many of them needed to be replaced, and this was being planned ‘subject to availability of funds’.

The minister added that safety audits within the railways would take place six times a year.