Western Railway Shines at 70th Railway Week Central Function - ATI Vishisht Rail Deva Purasarar 2025

Western Railway once again distinguished itself at the national level by securing multiple prestigious Railway Week Shields and individual honours under the Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar (AVRSP) - 2025, reaffirming its steadfast commitment to excellence in railway operations, safety, infrastructure development and passenger-centric services. The 70th Railway Week Central Function was held at India International Convention & Expo Centre, Yashobhoomi, New Delhi on Friday, 09th January, 2026, during which the Hon'ble Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology - Shri Ashwini Vaishnav, felicitated the Shield winners as well as individual awardees.

According to a press release issued by the Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, Shri Vineet Abhishek, the Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar Shields were conferred under 26 categories covering various operational and technical domains, recognising excellence across the Indian Railways system. At the national level, among all Zonal Railways, Western Railway achieved remarkable success by winning several prestigious Railway Week Shields and were also the highest Shield winners amongst the Zonal Railways this year. The Comprehensive Health Care Shield, the Non-Fare Revenue Shield, the Track Maintenance Shield and the Electrical Engineering Shield were won solely by Western Railway, reflecting sustained excellence across critical operational, technical and medical fields. In addition, Western Railway also emerged as a joint winner of the Civil Engineering Shield and the Civil Engineering Construction Shield, shared with Central Railway.

Shri Vineet Abhishek further stated that about 100 railway employees from all Zonal Railways were honoured with individual awards at the national level this year. Of these, seven officers and staff of Western Railway received the coveted Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar in recognition of their meritorious and exemplary performance, reflecting their exceptional dedication, professionalism and commitment to duty. The recipients of the Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar - 2025 from Western Railway were (1)Shri Ramprabesh Kumar, Loco Pilot (Goods); (2) Shri Banti Kumar, Track Maintainer-IV; (3) Shri Yogeshkumar Sharma, Pointsman-B; (4) Shri Pintu Sharma, Senior Section Officer; (5) Shri Anshul Bansal, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer; (6)Shri Chirag Mittal, Deputy Chief Engineer; and (7) Shri Apurv Tiwari, Deputy Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer.

Shri Banti Kumar, Track Maintainer-IV, Mumbai Central Division, was recognised for his swift response and professional vigilance in detecting a broken rail during night patrol and carrying out immediate on-the-spot rectification, ensuring safe train operations and preventing a possible mishap.

Shri Pintu Sharma, Senior Section Officer (Accounts), Western Railway Headquarter, was honoured for his significant contributions in strengthening financial systems and revenue accounting processes through systematic reconciliation, automation of billing and accounting modules, detection of untraced revenues and correction of data inconsistencies across multiple financial platforms, resulting in enhanced financial accuracy and transparency.

Shri Anshul Bansal, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (Traction Distribution), Ahmedabad Division, was awarded for his exemplary leadership and technical expertise in improving the reliability of traction infrastructure through large-scale replacement of defective OHE components, prompt restoration during failures and timely execution of critical electrification works,significantly enhancing operational safety and efficiency.

Shri Anshul Bansal, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (Traction Distribution), Ahmedabad Division, was awarded for his exemplary leadership and technical expertise in improving the reliability of traction infrastructure through large-scale replacement of defective OHE components, prompt restoration during failures and timely execution of critical electrification works, significantly enhancing operational safety and efficiency.

Shri Apurv Tiwari, Deputy Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineer (Works), Vadodara Division, was honoured for successfully commissioning Electronic Interlocking systems and replacement of conventional signalling with modern Multi Section Digital Axle Counter (MSDAC) systems across multiple sections ahead of target dates, thereby setting new benchmarks in project execution while substantially enhancing safety and efficiency of train operations.
Shri Chirag Mittal, Deputy Chief Engineer (Survey & Construction), was recognised for his outstanding role in the completion of major civil engineering works within record timelines, including commissioning of doubling sections, construction of important bridges, station redevelopment works and siding projects, which significantly enhanced infrastructure capacity, passenger amenities and operational efficiency.

Shri Ramprabesh Kumar, Loco Pilot Goods (Electrical), Rajkot Division, was honoured for his exceptional alertness and presence of mind during train operations, wherein he promptly detected a wagon lid that was not properly secured, resulting in an abnormal condition with the potential to cause a fire-related incident. He took immediate corrective action and his timely intervention averted a potential fire incident.
Shri Yogeshkumar Sharma, Pointsman-B, Bhavnagar Division, was awarded for his exemplary discipline, punctuality and strict adherence to operating and safety instructions. His continuous vigilance and proactive approach led to the detection and prevention of potential unsafe conditions, including securing loose brake components of a passing train, thereby ensuring safe and incident-free train movements in his section.

The outstanding performance of Western Railway in securing multiple Railway Week Shields and prestigious individual honours stands testimony to the dedication, professionalism and teamwork of its officers and staff. These achievements reinforce Western Railway's unwavering commitment to safety, service excellence, innovation and infrastructure development, while contributing meaningfully to the larger vision of Indian Railways as a modern, efficient and passenger-centric national transporter.