Railway Minister calls for threefold boost in safety and innovation to modernise Rail Infrastructure
NEW DELHI : Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw has asked for a threefold increase in efforts taken for safety, maintenance, quality, and training to modernise railway infrastructure and to provide a world-class experience to passengers. While addressing the 69th Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar ceremony on Saturday at Bharat Mandapam, the minister highlighted the importance of innovation, improvisation of inspection systems, adopting advanced training methods, and collaborating with the industry. He also stressed the significance of considering the grass-root level feedback for implementing meaningful improvements.
Shri Vishnaw awarded 101 railway officials with the esteemed Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar and presented 22 shields to the top-performing railway zones across various categories. The event also marked the presence of the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, Mr. Satish Kumar along with members of the Railway Board and general managers of several zones and production units.
According to a press statement released by the Railway Board, an update was also shared on the transformative development made by the Railways over the last 10 years. The minister highlighted the completion of crucial projects like pending North-East Connectivity initiatives and the Kashmir to Kanyakumari rail link. In terms of electrification efforts have been taken for significant advancements, as the Railways are targeting 100 percent electrification by 2025. Other achievements include the increasing speed of projects like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, and freight corridors.
The minister underlined the extensive execution of the Kavach safety system and hailed the remarkable progress in station redevelopment efforts. He also observed a significant decrease in the number of accidents that has declined from 345 to 90. About 1.5 lakh posts have been recruited by adopting a streamlined process that is efficient as well as transparent.
Shri Vaishnaw has also highlighted the cleanliness initiatives that have drawn widespread praise including from the opposition leaders. An announcement was also made for a Super App that is all set to launch soon and will aim at transforming the passenger experience. The Railways bestow the ‘Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar’ annually to acknowledge outstanding performance. The awards are given on individual accomplishments and also for best performing zones, promoting a culture of excellence across the network.