Concessions and simplified system for start-ups, faster accident claim disposal: Railways announces two more reforms

“Now there will be no barrier for start-ups to connect with Railways. The entire policy has been designed by start-ups only and it is much simplified than earlier policy. We have incorporated learnings from Defence, electronics, telecom and biotechnology (sectors). To develop the solutions by start-ups, 50% of the funding requirement will be met by Railways and once the project becomes successful, the order for the substantial period will be given to scale it up,” said Vaishnaw.

Rail tech policy increases the scale-up grant by more than three times and doubles the maximum grant for prototype development and trials.

Vaishnaw said that the budget for these start-up projects would be met by the respective departments such as civil, maintenance, and electrical, under which the proposals would be approved to find solutions.

“Railways is actively looking for start-up solutions to strengthen the safety, maintenance, employee grievances, AI cameras in coaches and other innovative ideas. The selection process will be simple where the feasibility of the technology will be checked at the level of the department concerned and then recommended to the board for sanctioning,” said the minister.

He also said that projects under the policy would first be piloted in one division and, once proven and stabilised, would be expanded to other divisions.

Meanwhile, the e-RCT system would enable complete digitisation of claim tribunals – from filing of cases to the adjudication of compensation claims related to deaths and injuries in railway accidents.

Currently, claimants and advocates are required to physically visit Tribunal offices for filing cases, submitting documents and tracking case progress.

With the introduction of the e-RCT System, cases can now be filed online from anywhere at any time, and progress of judgment, including hearings, evidence submission and adjournments, can be remotely tracked. Vaishnaw said that this reform will be rolled out over the next 12 months.

The reform will also provide for a digital centralised repository of all case-related documents, including orders and judgments.

At present, there are a total of 23 RCTs in the country and passengers face difficulties in identifying the appropriate one for filing claims, especially when they travel across states.

With the e-RCT system and Rail Tech Portal, the number of reforms the Railways has introduced this year has reached four already. Earlier this year, two reforms – related to on-board cleaning of trains and Gati shakti cargo terminals — were introduced.

Reform-centric approach

The reforms have been announced under Indian Railways’ flagship “52 Reforms in 52 Weeks” initiative. Rail Tech Policy aims to simplify the system for start-ups and encourage innovations in Railways by providing concessions through financial support. e-RCT resolves long-standing problems of the litigants by allowing them to file cases from anywhere electronically, irrespective of the accident location.