The work allocation for the restructured Railway Board has been finalized by the central government, with the Chairman and CEO in charge of key divisions including safety, human resources, security and infrastructure portfolios. The Centre has also finalised Cadre Controlling Authorities (CCA) for existing railway services before its unified cadre Indian Railway Management Service becomes functional.
As the first Chief Operating Officer of the national carrier, the railway board chairman will be the cadre controlling officer responsible for Human resources (HR), with assistance from a DG (HR). The other portfolios, which have an overarching effect on the smooth running of railways and its immediate plans of modernization and have been entrusted with the CEO include; HR, safety, security, health, planning, infrastructure, vigilance, efficiency & research, public relations, heritage, secretary’s branches, transformation cell and ‘corporate coordination.
In a major move to reform the 150-year-old railway board of the Indian Railways, last year, the Central Government approved a restructuring of the apex body of the Indian Railways by trimming its strength to half, and unifying its eight railways services into a central service called the Indian Railway Management Service.
This restructing has got approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), which also approved the appointment of VK Yadav, the current chairman of the Railway Board as its first CEO.
The Railway Board is the apex body of the Indian Railways which reports to the Parliament via the ministry of railways. It will now consist of four members and will be headed by the chairman who will also act as “Chief Executive Officer (CEO)”. Under the CEO, four members will be responsible for Infrastructure, Operations & Business Development, Rolling Stock and Finance respectively.
According to the railway board order, the other members of the board including Member (Infrastructure) have been allotted work related to civil engineering, bridges, signal and telecom, land and amenities, station development and railway electrification. Member, Traction and Rolling Stock(TRS), Railway Board will be in charge of production units, mechanical workshops, coaches, train sets, maintenance of coaching stock among other things. Member, Operations and Business Development (O&BD), will be responsible for traffic transportation, coaching, tourism and catering commercial, non-fare revenue and marketing and business development. Member, Finance, will be in charge of all accounts and revenue.
