THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has thanked the Rail Parivaar for their dedication and efforts during the pandemic.“While the loss of our own would never be forgotten, it was the grit, determination and resolve of Rail Parivaar which had emerged victorious in the wake of the unprecedented pandemic,” said Piyush Goyal.
While writing to the Rail Parivaar, the minister noted that it was a matter of great pride, satisfaction and gratitude as another financial year draws to a close. He noted that the past year was unlike anything that we had experienced before and that it was the determination and resolve of Rail Parivaar which emerged victorious in the wake of the unprecedented pandemic.
He said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Railway family devoted itself to the service of the nation. “While the world came to a standstill, railwaymen never took a day off, and worked even harder at a great personal risk to keep the wheels of the economy moving,” he said.Goyal wrote that this commitment ensured an uninterrupted supply of essential goods, be it coal for power plants, fertilizer for farmers or food grains for the consumers across the country. “With your sheer willpower and resilience, we turned this crisis into an opportunity,” he observed.
A total of 4,621 Shramik Specials ran to unite families and carried more than 63 lakh stranded citizens. Despite limitations during the lockdown, 370 major safety and infrastructure works were completed.
“1,233 million tonnes of originating freight has been loaded, which is the best for any year. 6,015 RKM of rail electrification works has been achieved in the last financial year. As they say, records are meant to be broken and no one does it better than Indian Railways,” he noted.The minister further added that railways has become customer-centric and is taking numerous steps for improving its speed as well as operational efficiency.