Thursday was a day of immense pride and celebration for the Palakkad Railway Division as they were bestowed with the prestigious Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar during the 70th Railway Week festivities. This significant award marks a monumental achievement for the division.
Adding to their laurels, the West Coast Express (train number 22638), meticulously maintained at the Mangaluru depot, was recognized as the best-maintained train within the entire Southern Railway network. Furthermore, Palakkad Junction Railway Station proudly claimed the title of the best-kept station in the region, a testament to its pristine standards.
Beyond these prominent awards, the division also secured several other performance shields and, most notably, the General Manager’s Overall Efficiency Shield—the highest honor bestowed upon any division in the Southern Railway.
Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Madhukar Roat (second from left) and his colleagues proudly display the Southern Railway’s overall efficiency trophy.
Divisional Railway Manager Madhukar Roat, who presided over the celebratory events, expressed immense satisfaction, calling it a moment of great pride for the division. Mr. Roat emphatically stated, “Our division has emerged as a leader in Southern Railway, excelling in efficiency, innovation, and overall performance.”
Staff members at the Palakkad Railway Division headquarters proudly pose with their collection of newly won trophies.
The Palakkad division garnered awards across various critical functional areas, including engineering, mechanical, and personnel efficiency, as well as excellence in manpower planning, work study, Rail Madad performance, and electrical energy conservation.
Mr. Roat highlighted that the West Coast Express receiving the best-maintained train award underscores the unwavering commitment of the Mangaluru coaching depot staff. Their rigorous adherence to high maintenance standards, technical prowess, and diligent cleanliness practices were pivotal to this recognition.
Palakkad Divisional Manager Madhukar Roat (center) addresses the press at his Olavakode office on Thursday.
Further elaborating on developmental initiatives, Mr. Roat revealed that 16 stations within the Palakkad division are undergoing modernization as part of the ambitious Amrit Bharat scheme. Two of these stations have already been inaugurated, with several more nearing completion. The Kannur station is slated to be the final one among the 16 to be inaugurated, with its launch expected in March of the upcoming year.
The Divisional Railway Manager attributed Palakkad division’s consistently stellar performance to a combination of meticulous strategic planning, rigorous continuous monitoring, and a deeply ingrained culture of accountability and innovation prevalent across all departments.
Mr. Roat was joined by Additional Divisional Railway Managers S. Jayakrishnan and K. Anil Kumar during the celebratory address.