The Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, Act No. 60 of 2002

What the law governs

The Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002 regulates the working, operation and maintenance of metro railways. It initially extends to the National Capital Region. The Central Government may extend it, by notification and after consulting the State Government, to another metropolitan area or metropolitan city, except Calcutta.

The definition of metropolitan city includes Madras. However, the supplied text contains no Central Government notification extending the law to Madras or another location in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu readers should therefore check whether a separate extension notification applies to the relevant metro system or property.

Land and property relevance

The Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002 defines a metro railway broadly. It includes:

• Land within boundary marks showing the limits of land belonging to or associated with the metro railway.
• Tracks, sidings, yards and branches used for metro purposes.
• Stations, offices, ventilation shafts, ducts, warehouses, workshops, depots, machinery and related works.
• Any right or interest in land.

The law also defines development as building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land. It includes material changes to buildings or land, planting trees and redevelopment. Property buyers or owners near metro land should verify boundaries and rights recorded for the metro railway, although the supplied extract does not set out a land acquisition process.

Administration, safety and passenger operations

The Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002 provides for:

• Constitution and management of Government metro railways, including appointment of a General Manager.
• A Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety, with duties concerning safety, inspections and accident inquiries.
• Central Government sanction before opening a metro railway, certain works, or reopening a closed railway.
• Fare display, tickets and passes, passenger conduct, carriage of goods and dangerous or offensive material.
• A Fare Fixation Committee whose recommendations bind the metro railway administration.
• Accident reporting, inquiries, compensation applications and appointment of a Claims Commissioner.
• Offences involving unauthorised entry, obstruction, ticket misuse, property damage, unsafe conduct and disruption of metro operations.

For technical planning and metro railway safety, the law identifies the Central Government as the Ministry of the Government of India dealing with Railways.