Northern Railway General Manager Ashok Kumar Verma on Thursday presented the 70th Vishisht Rail Seva Puruskar to 94 officials in New Delhi for their outstanding and meritorious service to the rail network.

The award ceremony was held at the National Railway Museum in Chanakyapuri. According to Northern Railway, the honours recognise exceptional dedication and contributions made by employees towards ensuring efficient operations and strengthening the rail system.

Alongside individual awards, 30 Efficiency Shields were also conferred on departments and divisions that delivered superior performance across operational parameters during the past year, said Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay.

Addressing the gathering, Verma said Indian Railways is working relentlessly towards the Prime Minister’s vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047” and emphasised Northern Railway’s critical role in achieving that goal. He underlined the need for continuous innovation, strict safety standards, enhanced training and infrastructure modernisation, particularly in track maintenance.

Verma also urged railway officials to move beyond outdated administrative approaches and adopt a more citizen-centric and proactive work culture. He congratulated the awardees and encouraged the entire Northern Railway workforce to maintain integrity and commitment in their duties.