Railways Act, 1989
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 authorized 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 not delivery
unless the railway administration further proves that it has used reasonable
foresight and care in the carriage of the goods.