‘Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar’: Indian Railways felicitates outstanding performers

New Delhi/Maligaon: Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw conferred the 69th “Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar” to 101 officials and 22 shields to the best-performing Zones at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on Saturday.

The event was graced by Chairman & CEO of Railway Board Satish Kumar, Members of the Railway Board and General Managers from various Railway Zones and Production Units.

Highlighting Indian Railways’(IR) transformative journey, Vaishnaw emphasised towards achieving 100 percent electrification by 2025, completing landmark projects such as the Kashmir to Kanyakumari rail link as well as ongoing connectivity initiatives in the North-East India.

He also mentioned that initiatives like Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, Namo Bharat trains and freight corridors with the upcoming bullet train services are adding gems to the nation’s connectivity.

From NFR, Raj Narayan Kumar, Loco Pilot from Badarpur, and Rahul Kumar, Sr. Assistant Loco Pilot from Lumding, were among the distinguished awardees. Raj Narayan Kumar was recognised for his extraordinary alertness in averting an untoward incident during a massive landslide in Tripura, saving the lives of almost 1,000 passengers. Rahul Kumar also demonstrated exceptional vigilance and acted quickly to prevent a potential mishap caused by a falling tree over railway track, ensuring passenger safety during challenging weather conditions.