Officials' committee to oversee Railways restructuring

The government has decided to constitute a high-level official panel to oversee the restructuring of railways.

The cabinet secretary, chairman, railway board, secretary in the department of personnel and training and department of expenditure will be in the committee, sources said on Thursday.

The officials' committee will assist the Group of Ministers to form the final contours of the restructured railways which will consist of a pruned railway board and a single cadre management system.

The process is called an 'alternative mechanism' that will take a year, officials said.

As part of major reforms in the Indian Railways, the Union Cabinet had earlier approved the downsizing and rationalising of the railway board from nine to five members, with the formal authority of a CEO to the chairman, railway board and re-alignment of the Board members' functions on functional rather than departmental lines.