Travelling Cash Safe:
Placing of cash and the cash remittance note in cash bags
The cash and the cash remittance note should be sent in cash bags provided for the purpose. When there is no cash, the cash remittance note should still be sent in the cash bag with the word ‘NIL’ written on it. The Station Master or any other staff authorized to remit cash should satisfy himself that the cash bag is in sound condition before the cash is put into it.
Cash bags containing earnings must be properly fastened and sealed. Cash bags must be tied after folding the neck with the eyelet holes close to one another. Tape must be passed at least four times over the mouth of the bag, through the eyelet holes, and twice around the neck of the bag each way. The tape must be drawn as tightly as possible and then tied in a knot on the name and label side of the bag, the knot being sealed with the help of sealing wax and the station cash seal. The tape used for sealing cash bags must be in one piece and free from knots.
All operations in connection with placing the cash in the cash bag and sealing, etc., should be carried out personally by the Station Master or by the Assistant Station Master in his presence. During this period only those railway employees whose presence is essential should be allowed entry into the room, the entrance to which should be closed fro .. within. Where staff other than Station Master are authorized to remit cash, these duties should be performed by them.
Ordinarily, only one cash remittance note, together with the cash, etc., should be placed in one cash bag. In case it becomes necessary, to enclose more than one cash remittance note in the same cash bag, all the three foils of each such cash remittance note should bear in red ink, on the top, cross-references to other cash remittance notes enclosed in the same cash bag. The fact of enclosing more than one Cash Remittance Note in the same cash bag should also be telegraphed immediately to the Chief Cash Witness and the Chief Cashier.
Safe custody of sealed cash bags and their deposit in the traveling cash safe.When the cash has been sealed for remittance and is awaiting despatch to the cash office, it should be kept in the station cash safe, the key of the safe remaining in the personal custody of the Station Master or Assistant Station Master on duty, who is responsible for the safety of the cash.
At stations where the train carrying the travelling cash safe passes during the hours of duty of the Station Master, the sealed cash bags will be deposited in the travelling cash safe by him personally. He will be responsible for the safe conveyance of the cash bags from the station safe to the brake van.
If the train carrying the travelling cash sate passes at a time when the Station Master is off duty, the cash and cash seal will be made over to the Assistant Station Master who will count the cash in its entirety and acknowledge its receipt and that of cash seal in the station diary. The cash seal and the cash bag, after being sealed in the manner explained in the preceding paragraphs by the Assistant Station Master in whose duty hours the train carrying the travelling cash safe, will pass, should be kept in the station safe. The cash bag will be deposited in the travelling cash safe by the Assistant Station Master when the train arrives.
Before the cash bag is deposited in the travelling cash safe by the Station Master on duly, the cash bag should be examined on both sides by the Guard who should carefully see that the bag is in order in all respects, that the stitching of the seams of the bag is firm and that the seal is intact. He must also see that the station name and number painted on each bag agrees exactly with the particulars in the register of Guard’s signature for cash bags.
The Station Master should then obtain the signature of the Guard of the train in the register of Guard’s signature for cash bags in Form Com.|C-27 Dev. The Guard should sign in full in ink recording the total number of bags deposited as also the painted number of the traveling cash safe.
The out-agents and the city booking agents will make over the sealed cash bags containing the earnings of the out-agency/city booking agency to the Station Master of the serving station after obtaining his acknowledgment in the register. In no circumstances should lose cash be made over to the Station Master of the serving station. Before giving the acknowledgment, the Station Master should examine the sealed cash bag with a view to ensure that it is not turned or damaged in any way and that it is properly sealed. The Station Master will deposit the sealed cash base received by him from the out-agency city booking agency in the traveling cash safe in the same manner as the sealed cash bags of his station.
After dropping the cash bags in the travelling cash sale, the lid of the travelling cash sate should be lifted or revolved, as the case may be, and examined jointly by the Station Master and the Guard to ensure that the cash bag has actually dropped inside and has not remained stuck up in the hollow of the drum or near the side of the lid of the cash safe.
Cash bags after being deposited in the traveling cash safe may tend to pile up at the center, thus preventing the proper working of the revolving lid. When this happens, the safe should be tilted, to and fro, a couple of times to allow the bags inside to spread out and make room for others.
When the cash bag is so light that it will not by its own weight fall into the traveling cash safe, a stone may be tied on the outside of the cash bag to make it heavier. In no circumstances, should the stone be placed inside the cash bag? The Station Master depositing the cash bag should also make an entry, in his own handwriting, in the Guard’s cash bag guidance showing the particulars of bags deposited by him in the traveling cash safe.
Travelling cash safe getting out of order: When a traveling cash safe gets out of order on the run and it is not possible or safe to deposit cash bags in it, the Guard in charge of the train and the Station Master of the station at which it is discovered that the cash safe is out of order, must jointly seal it and telegraph the fact to the Divisional Office as well as to the remaining stations on the section and to the Chief Cashier. The Station Master, who is unable to deposit his cash, will retain it till the following day and take precautions for its safe custody till cleared. He must also report the reasons by telegram to the Divisional Railway Manager, the Traffic Accounts Office, and the Chief Cashier.
Safe transit of cash: Station Masters on duty at the stations at which traveling cash safes are to be placed in the train by which station earnings are collected are responsible for seeing that these are in sound condition and in proper order. Where padlocks are provided on safe, the Station Master “should also see that the padlocks are properly wrapped and sealed. The Station Masters at such stations should maintain a proper record of the receipt and despatched particulars of the cash safes.
The Guard will be personally responsible for the safe transit of the traveling cash safe and delivery thereof at the destination station. The traveling cash safe should be locked to a permanently fixed ring in the brake van with a strong chain, where such facility exists, the key remaining in the personal custody of the Guard. Before taking over the safe, the Guard should also examine the general condition of the safe to see that it is not damaged on any side or at the bottom and that the revolving lid or other dropping arrangements are functioning satisfactorily. He should further see that the seals, locks, and rivets are intact. Guards should also ensure that as far as possible the cash safe is kept in such a position that it is always visible from his compartment. The Guard must lock the doors of the compartment on both sides with the padlocks supplied to him and also with the carriage key. When the train stops at stations, the Guard must be careful to see that the door on the off-side compartment is always kept securely locked. In the case of fire or serious accident, Guard must exercise special care to ensure the safety of cash.
Sealing of loaded travelling cash safe: At the last cash dropping station on the section, the Guard will sign the cash bag guidance indicating thereon the total number of cash bags in the safe, The Station Master or the Assistant Station Master on duty at the last cash dropping station of the section will, after dropping cash bag of his station, seal the lid of the travelling cash safe with his own station cash seal. This work must be done in the presence of the Station Master/Assistant Station Master on duty and the Guard, both of whom must sign the label on which the seal is fixed. The Guard must also endorse a special remark in the Guard’s signature book of the station to the effect that the traveling cash safe has been properly sealed in his presence.
Making and taking over of travelling cash safes: Where the Guard changes duty with another while the cash safe is still in transit, the relieved Guard will obtain the signature of the relieving Guard for having correctly made over the safe in good condition and with seals intact in the presence of the Station Master on duty who will also sign a certificate to this effect in the Guard’s rough journal.
Loaded cash safes required to be transferred to through trains at the stations, for despatch to the destination station, will be made over by the incoming Guard to the Station Master on duty who will, after satisfying himself about the condition of the safe and its seal and lock, acknowledge its receipt in the Guard’s rough journal. While at the station, the cash safe will be kept in the Station Master’s office chained and padlocked to the wall, or at a place specifically authorized by the Divisional Railway Manager duly guarded with suitable security arrangements.
When the loaded cash safe is transferred to them by train, are acknowledgment should be obtained from the Guard taking over charge of the safe. The compartment in which the loaded cash safes are carried will be kept locked by the Guard.
Opening of branch line travelling cash safes at junctions stations: In the case of certain branch lines notified by the railway administration for this purpose, the Station Master of the junction station is authorized to collect the sealed cash bags received in the travelling cash safe of the branch line and deposit the same in the travelling cash safe of the main line. In such cases, the Station Master should open the branch line cash safe in the presence of the Guard of the train and a representative of the Government Railway Police, after examining the seals on the cash safe. The particulars of the cash bags so collected should immediately be posted in a register, which will be signed by the Station Master, and the Guard and representative of the Government Railway Police witnessing the operations. After the entries in the register have been reconciled with the Guard’s cash bag guidance, the latter will be preserved by the Station Master as his record. The Station Master at the junction station will be personally responsible for the safe custody of the branch line sealed cash bags in his station safe. These sealed cash bags will be deposited in the mainline train in the same manner as the sealed cash bags of the junction station.
Unloading and custody of loaded traveling cash safes: At the destination, the loaded cash safes should immediately be unloaded before any shunting is started. The Guard must hand over the cash safes to the Station Master on duty and obtain acknowledgment in his rough journal for having made over the sales in good condition with locks and seals intact, individually painted numbers and not the total number of such safes being entered in the journal.
The Station Master should have the loaded safes placed under the charge of Government Railway Police, or any other protection as approved by the Divisional Railway Manager, till such time the safe is made over to the authorised representative of the cash office in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Chief Commercial ‘Superintendent in consultation with the Financial Adviser and Chief Accounts Officer having regard to the local conditions.
Return of empty cash bags: Empty cash bags will be returned from the cash office daily. Before returning the empty cash bags to stations, the cash office will make them up in bundles for the different sections, bags being arranged in station order. Each bundle will be accompanied by a guidance securely tied to it.On receipt of the bundles of empty cash bags from the cash office, the dispatcher at the railway station serving the cash office will, count the number of bags tied up in each bundle and acknowledge receipt of the same. The bags will be tied in such a way that it will not be necessary to open the bundles for counting.
The bundles of empty cash bags will be despatched by scheduled trains and the Guard will deliver the empty cash bags to the Station Master concerned and obtain their signatures against the names of their stations in the column provided for the purpose in the guidance. The Guard should carefully see that the empty cash bag of one station is not delivered to another station, as such Mis-delivery may cause detention to cash at stations for want of cash bags and involve the issue of unnecessary telegrams.
It will also be the duty of the Station Masters to satisfy themselves, at the time of taking delivery of the empty cash bags from the Guard, that correct bags are delivered to them and they will be held equally responsible for taking delivery of empty cash bags that do not bear names of their stations.
While traveling by the train carrying traveling cash safes, the Commercial Inspector should make it a point to keep a watch over the depositing of cash bags in the traveling cash safe and see that instructions issued on this subject are being correctly followed by the Station Master Assistant Station Master and the Guard. Any disregard of rules noticed in such checks should be specially reported to the Divisional Railway Manager for taking up suitably with the staff at fault. The staff should also be suitably activated to follow the correct procedure.