IR plans for merger of key companies

IR is planning to integrate Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) with Ircon In­ternational Limited, and for Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited to take over Braithwaite & Company Limited as part of the reorganisation plan. The reforms will also look at the railways’ information tech­nology operations, which are currently managed by three separate organisations: the Indian Railway Catering and Transportation Corporation (IRCTC), RailTel Corporation and the Centre for Railway Information Sys­tems (CRIS). It has been recommended that CRIS should be shut down after passing on all its responsibilities to IRCTC, and that RailTel should be merged with IRCTC.