A grand flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the Central Railway headquarters on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day. On this occasion, Central Railway General Manager (GM) Vivek Kumar Gupta hoisted the national flag and extended Republic Day greetings to railway employees, their families, and millions of passengers.
GM Vivek Kumar Gupta stated that Central Railway began its historic journey on April 16, 1853, with the first 33-kilometre railway line, and today it has transformed into a vast network of 4353 route kilometres, connecting 499 railway stations across five divisions. He said the Mumbai suburban network is the busiest and most complex in the country, serving over 4 million passengers daily with 1,820 EMU local trains.
’14 AC Local Trains to be Introduced’
The GM informed that, keeping passenger convenience in mind, 14 conventional local services on the Harbour Line have been upgraded to AC services, increasing the total number of AC EMU services on Central Railway to 94. Calling it a moment of pride for Central Railway, Vivek Kumar Gupta said that the Hon’ble Railway Minister awarded Central Railway five individual awards and five efficiency shields at the 70th Distinguished Railway Service Awards – 2025. These shields included those related to Civil Engineering, Bridge Maintenance, Signalling, and Material Management.
Emphasising safety as the top priority, he said that due to continuous efforts, there has been a significant reduction in railway accidents, and no major accident has occurred on Central Railway in the current financial year up to December 2025. 109 railway employees were awarded the “General Manager’s Safety Award” for their contributions to improved safety measures and exemplary performance.
He informed that to enhance passenger safety and convenience, 13 foot overbridges, 35 road overbridges, and 58 road underbridges have been commissioned in this financial year, while 19 level crossing gates have been eliminated. In addition, extensive repair work has been completed on 210 bridges, a significant achievement over the last five years.
‘Kavach System Installed in 171 Locomotives’
Speaking on technological upgrades, the GM said that the ‘Kavach’ system has been installed in 171 locomotives so far, further strengthening the safety of train operations. Automatic block signalling has been introduced on 86.22 kilometres of track, and electronic interlocking has been installed at 28 stations to increase section capacity.
He informed that a new railway line has been inaugurated between the Ahilyanagar-Beed section of the Pune division, which will boost local passenger traffic as well as industrial and agricultural transportation.
At the conclusion of the program, Vivek Kumar Gupta praised the dedication, discipline, and teamwork of all railway employees, stating that, through collective efforts, Central Railway will continue to play a crucial role in taking Indian Railways to new heights. He appealed to the employees to be courteous, responsive, and service-oriented towards passengers.
