Railway safety commission admits Metro circle offices still unsanctioned

This is the Annual Report for 2014-2015 issued by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (under the Ministry of Civil Aviation) detailing the statutory activities of the Commission, including inspections of new lines, investigations into serious accidents, and safety sanctions. It matters to citizens as it provides official data on railway safety oversight, accident inquiries, and the operational status of the safety regulatory body.

Who it concerns: The document concerns the Commission of Railway Safety, the Central Government, Indian Railways, Metro Railway corporations (Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Gurgaon), and the general public using railway and metro services.

What the inquiry found

• The report covers the financial year 2014-2015 and was prepared as required by Section 10 of the Railways Act, 1989, and Section 12 of the Metro Railway (Operation & Maintenance) Act, 2002.
• The Commission conducted inquiries into serious accidents, resulting in 60 recommendations.
• Statutory inspections were performed on 329.938 Kms of new lines, 621.541 Kms of additional lines, 334.621 Kms of gauge conversion, 9.587 Kms of deviation lines, and 1231.48 Kms of electric traction introduction.
• Metro line inspections included 6.148 Kms of Delhi Metro corridors and 11.230 Kms of Mumbai Metro lines; inspections for Bangalore, Rapid Metro Gurgaon, and Kolkata Metro were recorded as NIL.
• The Commission sanctioned 3,486 proposals for new minor works, 14 cases of condonation for dimension infringements, 6 cases for over-dimensioned consignments, and 176 cases for new types of rolling stock.
• Periodic inspections of Government Railways covered 12,615.58 Kms.
• As of 31.03.2015, the actual strength of Commissioners was five against nine sanctioned posts, and there were six vacancies among Deputy Commissioners.
• The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) is based in Lucknow and acts as the Principal Technical Advisor to the Central Government.

Also in the document

• The document notes that Metro Railway Safety circle offices have not been sanctioned until now, with some Commissioners assigned these functions.
• The report lists specific vacancies in Commissioner roles for the Eastern, Northern, Northeast Frontier, and Western circles during parts of the reporting period.
• The organizational structure indicates that Deputy Commissioners are not statutory authorities and serve on a deputation basis from Railways.