Vaishnaw introduces Railways Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha

 A bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday to grant statutory powers to the Railway Board. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 that seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board. "All the provisions in the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905 are proposed to be incorporated in the Railways Act, 1989 through this Bill," the minister said.

He said the railways network was established as a branch of the Public Works Department before independence. When the network expanded, the Indian Railways Act, of 1890, was enacted to enable the proper functioning of different railway entities, he said. Vaishnaw said the railway organization was separated from the Public Works Department and the Railway Board Act was enacted in 1905.

A contemporary railway law, the Railways Act was enacted in 1989 by repealing the Indian Railways Act, 1890. However, the Railway Board continued to function through an executive decision without any statutory sanction. "The current Bill proposes to simplify the legal framework by incorporating the proposals of the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905 in the Railways Act, 1989. This will reduce the need to refer to two laws," Vaishnaw said in the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.