Southern Railway honours 101 employees at 71st Railway week awards

Southern Railway celebrated the 71st Railway Week with the presentation of the prestigious Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar 2026 at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Arangam, Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, on Thursday. The ceremony was presided over by R.N. Singh, General Manager, Southern Railway, who conferred awards on outstanding officers and staff for their exemplary service and contributions.
A total of 101 employees, including 28 officers and 73 staff members, received individual awards for meritorious performance. In addition, 38 Efficiency Shields were presented to divisions, workshops and units that excelled in various aspects of railway operations, including safety, commercial performance, engineering, personnel management and passenger services.
The GM’s Inter-Divisional Overall Efficiency Shield for 2025-26 was jointly awarded to Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram divisions, while Tiruchchirappalli division secured the runner-up position.
Several divisions were also recognised for excellence in specialised fields such as operations, security, accounts, medical services and infrastructure maintenance.
Addressing the gathering, R.N. Singh highlighted Southern Railway’s achievements during 2025-26, including the commissioning of major infrastructure projects, track and signalling upgrades, enhanced sectional speeds, introduction of modern coaches and improvements in passenger amenities.
Two Railway School students were honoured with Merit Certificates for outstanding performance in Board examinations. The event concluded with a cultural programme featuring folk and musical performances by railway employees and their wards.