93. General responsibility of a railway administration as carrier of goods.—Save as otherwise
provided in this Act, a railway administration shall be responsible for the loss, destruction, damage or
deterioration in transit, or non-delivery of any consignment, arising from any cause except the following,
namely:—
(a) act of God;
(b) act of war;
(c) act of public enemies;
(d) arrest, restraint or seizure under legal process;
(e) orders or restrictions imposed by the Central Government or a State Government or by an
officer or authority subordinate to the Central Government or a State Government authorised by it in
this behalf;
(f) act or omission or negligence of the consignor or the consignee or the endorsee or the agent or
servant of the consignor or the consignee or the endorsee;
(g) natural deterioration or wastage in bulk or weight due to inherent defect, quality or vice of the
goods;
(h) latent defects;
(i) fire, explosion or any unforeseen risk:
Provided that even where such loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery is proved to
have arisen from any one or more of the aforesaid causes, the railway administration shall not be relieved
of its responsibility for the loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery unless the railway
administration further proves that it has used reasonable foresight and care in the carriage of the goods.
94. Goods to be loaded or delivered at a siding not belonging to a railway administration.—
(1) Where goods are required to be loaded at a siding not belonging to a railway administration for
carriage by railway, the railway administration shall not be responsible for any loss, destruction, damage
or deterioration of such goods from whatever cause arising, until the wagon containing the goods has
been placed at the specified point of interchange of wagons between the siding and the railway
administration and a railway servant authorised in this behalf has been informed in writing accordingly by
the owner of the siding.
(2) Where any consignment is required to be delivered by a railway administration at a siding not
belonging to a railway administration, the railway administration shall not be responsible for any loss,
destruction, damage or deterioration or non-delivery of such consignment from whatever cause arising
after the wagon containing the consignment has been placed at the specified point of interchange of
wagons between the railway and the siding and the owner of the siding has been informed in writing
accordingly by a railway by a railway servant authorised in this behalf.
95. Delay or retention in transit.—A railway administration shall not be responsible for the loss,
destruction, damage or deterioration of any consignment proved by the owner to have been caused by the
delay or detention in their carriage if the railway administration proves that the delay or detention arose
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for reasons beyond its control or without negligence or misconduct on its part or on the part of any of its
servants.
96. Traffic passing over railways in India and railways in foreign countries.—Where in the
course of carriage of any consignment from a place in India to a place outside India or from a place
outside India to a place in India or from one place outside India to another place outside India or from one
place in India to another place in India over any territory outside India, it is carried over the railways of
any railway administration in India, the railway administration shall not be responsible under any of the
provisions of this Chapter for the loss, destruction, damage or deterioration of the goods, from whatever
cause arising, unless it is proved by the owner of the goods that such loss, destruction, damage or
deterioration arose over the railway of the railway administration.
97. Goods carried at owner’s risk rate.—Notwithstanding anything contained in section 93, a
railway administration shall not be responsible for any loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or nondelivery in transit, of any consignment carried at owner’s risk rate, from whatever cause arising, except
upon proof, that such loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery was due to negligence or
misconduct on its part or on the part of any of its servants:
Provided that,—
(a) where the whole of such consignment or the whole of any package forming part of such
consignment is not delivered to the consignee or the endorsee and such non-delivery is not proved by
the railway administration to have been due to fire or to any accident to the train; or
(b) where in respect of any such consignment or of any package forming part of such
consignment which had been so covered or protected that the covering or protection was not readily
removable by hand, it is pointed out to the railway administration on or before delivery that any part
of that consignment or package had been pilfered in transit,
the railway administration shall be bound to disclose to the consignor, the consignee or the endorsee how
the consignment or the package was dealt with throughout the time it was in its possession or control, but
if negligence or misconduct on the part of the railway administration or of any of its servants cannot be
fairly inferred from such disclosure, the burden of proving such negligence or misconduct shall lie on the
consignor, the consignee or the endorsee.
98. Goods in defective condition or defectively packed.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained
in the foregoing provisions of this Chapter, when any goods entrusted to a railway administration for
carriage—
(a) are in a defective condition as a consequence of which they are liable to damage,
deterioration, leakage or wastage; or
(b) are either defectively packed or not packed in such manner as may be prescribed and as a
result of such defective or improper packing are liable to damage, deterioration, leakage or wastage,
and the fact of such condition or defective or improper packing has been recorded by the consignor or his
agent in the forwarding note, the railway administration shall not be responsible for any damage,
deterioration, leakage or wastage or for the condition in which such goods are available for delivery at
destination:
Provided that the railway administration shall be responsible for any such damage, deterioration,
leakage or wastage or for the condition in which such goods are available for delivery at destination if
negligence or misconduct on the part of the railway administration or of any of its servants is proved.
(2) When any goods entrusted to a railway administration for carriage are found on arrival at the
destination station to have been damaged or to have suffered deterioration, leakage or wastage, the
railway administration shall not be responsible for the damage, deterioration, leakage or wastage of the
goods on proof by railway administration,—
(a) that the goods were, at the time of entrustment to the railway administration, in a defective
condition, or were at that time either defectively packed or not packed in such manner as may be
prescribed and as a result of which were liable to damage, deterioration, leakage or wastage; and
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(b) that such defective condition or defective or improper packing was not brought to the notice
of the railway administration or any of its servants at the time of entrustment of the goods to the
railway administration for carriage by railway:
Provided that the railway administration shall be responsible for any such damage, deterioration,
leakage or wastage if negligence or misconduct on the part of the railway administration or of any of its
servants is proved.
99. Responsibility of a railway administration after termination of transit.—(1) A railway
administration shall be responsible as a bailee under sections 151, 152 and 161 of the Indian Contract Act,
1872 (9 of 1872), for the loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery of any consignment up
to a period of seven days after the termination of transit:
Provided that where the consignment is at owner’s risk rate, the railway administration shall not be
responsible as a bailee for such loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery except on proof of
negligence or misconduct on the part of the railway administration or of any of its servants.
(2) The railway administration shall not be responsible in any case for the loss, destruction, damage,
deterioration or non-delivery of any consignment arising after the expiry of a period of seven days after
the termination of transit.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions of this section, a railway
administration shall not be responsible for the loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery of
perishable goods, animals, explosives and such dangerous or other goods as may be prescribed, after the
termination of transit.
(4) Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section shall affect the liability of any person to pay
any demurrage or wharfage, as the case may be, for so long as the consignment is not unloaded from the
railway wagons or removed from the railway premises.
100. Responsibility as carrier of luggage.—A railway administration shall not be responsible for the
loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery of any luggage unless a railway servant has
booked the luggage and given a receipt therefor and in the case of luggage which is carried by the
passenger in his charge, unless it is also proved that the loss, destruction, damage or deterioration was due
to the negligence or misconduct on its part or on the part of any of its servants.
101. Responsibility as a carrier of animals.—A railway administration shall not be responsible for
any loss or destruction of, or injuries to, any animal carried by railway arising from freight or restiveness
of the animal or from overloading of wagons by the consignor.
102. Exoneration from liability in certain cases.—Notwithstanding anything contained in the
foregoing provisions of this Chapter, a railway administration shall not be responsible for the loss,
destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery of any consignment,—
(a) when such loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery is due to the fact that a
materially false description of the consignment is given in the statement delivered under
sub-section (1) of section 66; or
(b) where a fraud has been practised by the consignor or the consignee or the endorsee or by an
agent of the consignor, consignee or the endorsee; or
(c) where it is proved by the railway administration to have been caused by, or to have arisen
from—
(i) improper loading or unloading by the consignor or the consignee or the endorsee or by an
agent of the consignor, consignee or the endorsee;
(ii) riot, civil commotion, strike, lock-out, stoppage or restraint of labour from whatever
cause arising whether partial or general; or
(d) for any indirect or consequential loss or damage or for loss of particular market.
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103. Extent of monetary liability in respect of any consignment.—(1) Where any consignment is
entrusted to a railway administration for carriage by railway and the value of such consignment has not
been declared as required under sub-section (2) by the consignor, the amount of liability of the railway
administration for the loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery of the consignment shall in
no case exceed such amount calculated with reference to the weight of the consignment as may be
prescribed, and where such consignment consists of an animal, the liability shall not exceed such amount
as may be prescribed.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where the consignor declares the value of
any consignment at the time of its entrustment to a railway administration for carriage by railway, and
pays such percentage charge as may be prescribed on so much of the value of such consignment as is in
excess of the liability of the railway administration as calculated or specified, as the case may be, under
sub-section (1), the liability of the railway administration for the loss, destruction, damage, deterioration
or non-delivery of such consignment shall not exceed the value so declared.
(3) The Central Government may, from time to time, by notification, direct that such goods as may be
specified in the notification shall not be accepted for carriage by railway unless the value of such goods is
declared and percentage charge is paid as required under sub-section (2).
104. Extent of liability in respect of goods carried in open wagon.—Where any goods, which,
under ordinary circumstances, would be carried in covered wagon and would be liable to damage, if
carried otherwise, are with the consent of the consignor, recorded in the forwarding note, carried in open
wagon, the responsibility of railway administration for destruction, damage or deterioration which may
arise only by reason of the goods being so carried, shall be one-half of the amount of liability for such
destruction, damage or deterioration determined under this Chapter.
105. Right of railway administration to check contents of certain consignment or luggage.—
Where the value has been declared under section 103 in respect of any consignment a railway
administration may make it a condition of carrying such consignment that a railway servant authorised by
it in this behalf has been satisfied by examination or otherwise that the consignment tendered for carriage
contain the articles declared.
106. Notice of claim for compensation and refund of overcharge.—(1) A person shall not be
entitled to claim compensation against a railway administration for the loss, destruction, damage,
deterioration or non-delivery of goods carried by railway, unless a notice thereof is served by him or on
his behalf,—
(a) to the railway administration to which the goods are entrusted for carriage; or
(b) to the railway administration on whose railway the destination station lies, or the loss,
destruction, damage or deterioration occurs,
within a period of six months from the date of entrustment of the goods.
(2) Any information demanded or enquiry made in writing from, or any complaint made in writing to,
any of the railway administrations mentioned in sub-section (1) by or on behalf of the person within the
said period of six months regarding the non-delivery or delayed delivery of the goods with particulars
sufficient to identify the goods shall, for the purpose of this section, be deemed to be a notice of claim for
compensation.
(3) A person shall not be entitled to a refund of an overcharge in respect of goods carried by railway
unless a notice therefor has been served by him or on his behalf to the railway administration to which the
overcharge has been paid within six months from the date of such payment or the date of delivery of such
goods at the destination station, whichever is later.
107. Applications for compensation for loss, etc., of goods.—An application for compensation for
loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery of goods shall be filed against the railway
administration on whom a notice under section 106 has been served.
108. Person entitled to claim compensation.—(1) If a railway administration pays compensation for
the loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery of goods entrusted to it for carriage, to the
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consignee or the endorsee producing the railway receipt, the railway administration shall be deemed to
have discharged its liability and no application before the Claims Tribunal or any other legal proceeding
shall lie against the railway administration on the ground that the consignee or the endorsee was not
legally entitled to receive such compensation.
(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall affect the right of any person having any interest in the goods to
enforce the same against the consignee or the endorsee receiving compensation under that sub-section.
109. Railway administration against which application for compensation for personal injury is
to be filed.—An application before the Claims Tribunal for compensation for the loss of life or personal
injury to a passenger, may be instituted against,—
(a) the railway administration from which the passenger obtained his pass or purchased his ticket,
or
(b) the railway administration on whose railway the destination station lies or the loss or personal
injury occurred.
110. Burden of proof.—In an application before the Claims Tribunal for compensation for loss,
destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery of any goods, the burden of proving—
(a) the monetary loss actually sustained; or
(b) where the value has been declared under sub-section (2) of section 103 in respect of any
consignment that the value so declared is its true value,
shall lie on the person claiming compensation, but subject to the other provisions contained in this Act, it
shall not be necessary for him to prove how the loss, destruction, damage, deterioration or non-delivery
was caused.
111. Extent of liability of railway administration in respect of accidents at sea.—(1) When a
railway administration contracts to carry passengers or goods partly by railway and partly by sea, a
condition exempting the railway administration from responsibility for any loss of life, personal injury or
loss of or damage to goods which may happen during the carriage by sea from act of God, public
enemies, fire, accidents from machinery, boilers and steam and all and every other dangers and accidents
of the seas, rivers and navigation of whatever nature and kind shall, without being expressed, be deemed
to be part of the contract, and, subject to that condition, the railway administration shall, irrespective of
the nationality or ownership of the ship used for the carriage by sea, be responsible for any loss of life,
personal injury or loss of or damage to goods which may happen during the carriage by sea, to the extent
to which it would be responsible under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), if the ships were
registered under that Act and the railway administration were owner of the ship and not to any greater
extent.
(2) The burden of proving that any such loss, injury or damage as is mentioned in sub-section (1)
happened during the carriage by sea shall lie on the railway administration.
112. Power to make rules in respect of matters in this Chapter.—(1) The Central Government
may, by notification, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Chapter.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may
provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:—
(a) the manner of packing of goods entrusted to a railway administration under clause (b) of
sub-section (1) of section 98;
(b) the goods for the purposes of sub-section (3) of section 99; and
(c) the maximum amount payable by the railway administration for the loss, destruction, damage,
deterioration or non-delivery of any consignment under sub-section (1) of section 103.