Following protests from Railway officers over the unified management service, Railway Ministry stepped up its efforts to assuage fears of railway officers.

Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav on Thursday reiterated that the career growth prospects all railway officials will be protected during the cadre merger process. The Chairman, who plans to hold a video conference with railway officers on Thursday, said that a Group of Ministers (GoM) will decide the absorption process and modalities within three months.

Railway Board Chairman also added that bids for running 150 trains through non-railway or private operators will be invited after a period of ten days.

The Chairman added that the fares for both freight and passenger are likely to be “rationalised” to the extent possible.

This statement may indicate an impending increase in passenger fares, something that has been flagged the government auditor Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) recently.

Later in the day, All India Railwaymen Federation, the Railways union, stated in a response that the Railway Ministry - in the name of restructuring - has taken several “one-sided decisions” for which the federations were not consulted.

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Published on December 26, 2019