B Mishra /new delhi
Union Railway and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today conferred the 69th Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Award 2024 to 101 employees and officers for their exceptional contributions to the Indian Railways.
Addressing the gathering in New Delhi, Mr. Vaishnaw highlighted the significant progress made by Indian Railways over the last ten years. He also urged Railway employees and officials to intensify their efforts threefold in enhancing safety, maintenance, quality, and training.
The Minister emphasized that the construction pace has significantly increased over the last decade, with 5,300 kilometres of new railway lines added to the network last year. He noted that the ambitious project connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari is nearing completion, promising seamless travel across the length of the country.
Mr. Vaishnaw also stated that the new Pamban Bridge is ready and will be inaugurated soon. He highlighted that the freight corridors are nearing completion. The minister reaffirmed that Indian Railways is on track to achieve 100 percent electrification of its broad gauge network by 2025.
The 101 awardees have been selected across various categories, including innovation leading to improvement in productivity, revenue generation, safety, improvement in operation, security, project completion, and sports. In addition to the individual awards, 22 Shields have been presented to the best-performing Railway Zones in various categories, recognizing their outstanding achievements and contributions to the overall performance of the Indian Railways.