What Does Centre's Decision To Merge 8 Railway Services Mean?

New Delhi: The Union government on Tuesday took a landmark decision to overhaul railway system in the country by merging eight different services and forming the Indian Railways Management Services. Union Minister for Railways, Piyush Goyal said that the measure would bring a coherent vision for the organisation and promote rational decision-making. It is also expected to end the bane of departmentalism which has bogged down the efficient working of the railways, according to analysts.

Bringing diverse services together under an umbrella structure, as part of railway reforms, had first been recommended by the Prakash Tandon committee in 1994 and subsequent panels in the years that followed, the latest being the Bibek Debroy committee (2015). The decision will now be set in motion by a committee of secretaries entrusted with this task.

What does this much-awaited merger of eight railway services mean? Here's an explainer:

• Decision-making will be expedited.

• The Railway Board will be restructured on the lines of a company board.

• The chairman of the downsized board comprising four members, instead of eight, will carry the designation of CEO.

• While the chairman will be CEO, the members will head various wings such as finance, business development, operations, infrastructure and rolling stock.

• Interestingly, the board will include part-time members with specialized domain expertise.

• The revamp will put an end to interservice rivalry and turf wars among various wings of the railways.

• HR will be headed by a director-general who will report to the CEO.

• The performance will be the basis for promotions and not seniority.