Section 57: Sanction for opening of railway for public carriage of passengers

(1) A railway shall not be opened for the public carriage of passengers, until the Minister has, by notice in the Gazette, sanctioned the opening thereof for that purpose.
(2) The Minister shall not sanction the opening of a railway under subsection (1) of this section, unless the Inspector of Railways shall have furnished him with a certificate, stating that the Inspector of Railways-
(a) has made careful inspection of the railway;
(b) has received from the Corporation a certificate, signed by the person for the time being discharging the functions of chief construction engineer of the Corporation, and stating that the railway complies with the standards approved by the Minister;
(c) has approved the rules made by the Corporation under section 29 of this Act, for the working of the railway when opened; and
(d) has satisfied himself that the railway can be opened for the public carriage of passengers, without danger to the public using it.
(3) If, on the expiry of one month after the date on which he receives from the Corporation a certificate referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of this section, together with a request in writing to issue his certificate under that subsection, the Inspector of Railways has not issued that certificate, he shall by notice in writing inform the Corporation of his reason for not issuing it and, in the same or a subsequent notice, of any requirements to be complied with as conditions precedent to the issue of his certificate.
(4) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the Corporation from carrying passengers or goods on a section of the railway in the course of construction or before the Minister has sanctioned the opening thereof under subsection (1) of this section, but in such case, the Corporation shall not be liable for the death of or injury to any passenger or for the loss, damage, deviation, misdelivery, delay or detention of or to any goods occasioned in the course of such carriage.