THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor P Sathasivam inaugurated the 60th Railway Week celebration here on Friday. He said the celebration is an opportunity to look back and forge ahead towards brighter prospects.
Sunil Bajpai, Divisional Railway Manager, presided over. On the occasion, Railway also honoured the meritorious services of their staff. The Governor gave away the certificates. Balachandran, member of the public belonging to Nagercoil, was honoured for his chivalrous act of rescuing a railway lady track maintainer R Jhancy from the clutches of some miscreants. She was also honoured on the occasion for fighting the situation without compromising on railway safety.
Siddharth K Raj, divisional personal officer, and Gopikrishna, secretary, Southern Railway Mazdoor Union, also spoke. Railway week is being celebrated since 1956 to commemorate the first train journey from Bori Bunder to Thane with 14 coaches on April 16, 1853. Pulled by three locomotives named ‘Sahib’, ‘Sindh’ and ‘Sultan’, it covered the distance of 34 km in 57 minutes.
