Railways Act, 1989
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, accident 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.