The Railways Opening for Public Carriage of Passengers Amendment Rules 2024

1730 GI/202 4 (1) रजिस्ट्री सं. डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No . D. L. -33004/99 EXTRAORDINARY PART II —Section 3 —Sub-section ( i) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 158] NEW DELHI, MONDAY , MARCH 11, 2024 /PHALGUNA 21, 1945 CG-DL-E-11032024-252841 MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (Railway Board) NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 11th March , 2024 G.S.R. 170(E).— In exercise of the powers c onferred by section 198 of the Railways Act, 1989 (24 of 1989), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Railways (Opening for Public Carriage of Passengers) Rules, 2000, namely: - 1. Short title and commencement. – (1) Th ese rules may be called the Railways (Opening for Public Carriage of Passengers) Amendment Rules, 2024. (2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 2. In the Railways (Opening for Public Carriage of Passengers) Rules, 2000 (herein after referred to as the said rules), in Chapter VI, after rule 22A, the following rule shall be inserted, namely: - “22B. Opening of works specified under items (a) to (e) to proviso {other than items (f) and (g)} of sub - rule (3) of rul e 3,- (1) For items, - (a) construction, rebuilding, modification and strengthening of foot -over-bridges and road -over- bridges; (b) construction, rebuilding, regirdering and strengthening of minor bridges; (c) regirdering and strengthening of all exis ting bridges, other than minor bridges; (d) elimination of manned level crossing; and (e) upgradation of level crossing and diversion of roads at level crossings, the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway, may without previous notice, sanction the opening of said minor works for passenger traffic, if he is satisfied, either with or without inspection: Provided that the power being exercised by the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway under this rule should not be delegated: Provided further tha t the works so opened without inspection, should ordinarily be inspected at the earliest possible date, the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway shall exercise his discretion as to the necessity of carrying out a subsequent inspection: Provided also that the authority for opening said minor works shall be communicated in writing by the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway to the concerned railway administration and a record of all works so sanctioned during each year, with particulars of the prio r or subsequent inspection, if made, shall be maintained by the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway. (2) For interlocking of level crossing, the competent authority to grant sanction to open works shall be the Principal Chief Signal and Telecommunic ation Engineer of zonal railway, with no further delegation. (3) For items, - (a) introduction of Double Distant Signalling alongwith corresponding changes at adjacent stations without yard remodelling; (b) introduction of new Intermediate Block Signalling , except in section with Slip Siding and Catch Siding, alongwith corresponding changes at adjacent stations without yard remodelling; and (c) introduction of new Automatic Block Signalling, except in section with Slip Siding and Catch Siding, alongwith c orresponding changes at adjacent stations without yard remodeling, the Competent Authority to grant sanction to open works shall be the General Manager of zonal railway, with no further delegation: Provided that the General Manager or Principal Chief Sign al and Telecommunication Engineer of the zonal railway, as the case may be, may sanction the opening of works for passenger traffic under this rule, if he is satisfied, either with or without inspection and works so opened without inspection, should ordin arily be inspected at the earliest possible date, but in case of works of a minor types, the General Manager or Principal Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer of Zonal Railway , as the case may be, shall exercise his discretion as to the necessity of carrying out a subsequent inspection.”; (3) In chapter VII of the said rules, in rule 25A, in sub -rule (1), – (i) for the longline, occurring after item (e), the following longline shall be substituted, namely: - “the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railw ay, may without previous notice, sanction the opening of said minor works for passenger traffic, if he is satisfied, either with or without inspection: Provided that the power being exercised by the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway under this rule should not be delegated: Provided further that the works so opened without inspection, should ordinarily be inspected at the earliest possible date, the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway shall exercise his discretion as to the necessity of carryin g out a subsequent inspection: Provided also that the authority for opening said minor works shall be communicated in writing by the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway to the concerned railway administration and a record of all works so sanctioned d uring each year, with particulars of the prior or subsequent inspection, if made, shall be maintained by the Principal Chief Engineer of zonal railway.”; (ii) the Note shall be omitted. [F. No. 70/WDO/ORI/RO/1/Vol. IX] AJIT KUMAR JHA, Executive Director C ivil Engineering (General) Note : The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub -section (i) vide number G.S.R. 625(E), dated the 21st July, 2000 and was last amended vide number G.S.R. 633(E), dated the 29th August, 2023. Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring R oad, Mayapuri, New Delhi -110064 and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi -110054.