Watch Indian Railway Minister Piyush Goyal allaying fear of lost promotions at the country’s largest employer

• The Railways Minister said that the seniority of all 8,4000 officers will be protected.
  
  
• The Railways decided to merge eight group services which affect the way officers of different cadres will be promoted and compensated.
  
  
• The minister also said that secretaries and group of ministers are working to come up with an alternative mechanism.

Indian Railways’ move to merge eight group services into one– to aid quicker reform – has had many of its officers worried. Piyush Goyal, the minister of Railways today allayed those fears saying that they will ensure that the seniority of all officers are protected.

“Officers will have an equal opportunity based on merit cum seniority to become a part of the Railway Board. Posts will not be fixed based on the officer's cadre,” he said addressing the press, today.


The minister also said that secretaries and group of ministers are working on the issue. Many officers had expressed concern that the unification of services across mechanical and electricity departments alike create multiple issues apart from career progression. But, officers told PTI that it would in fact create silos.

The ministry which is trying to modernize the age-old system hopes that this unification will end departmentalism which has been delaying movement. However, each of these services have their own way of calculating seniority and increments which will not be valid in the new regime.

“We will have an alternate mechanism to ensure that the promotion and seniority of all 8,400 officers are protected,” Goyal said.

The Indian Railways which was established by the Britishers when they ruled in India, has been taking up a massive modernization drive. From setting up e-offices to using modern train control systems, it is also looking to invest in ways and means to bring down costs and turn train travel into a world-class experience.

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