President Pranab Mukherjee lauds Indian Railways

Railways is one of the few institutions which can truly be called the unifier of the nation

Terming the newly-inducted Railways officers as agents of change, President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday, asked them to ensure safety of passengers who have reposed tremendous trust in them.

The Railways, with its glorious history, is one of the few institutions which can truly be called the unifier of the nation, he said during a meeting with a group of probationers from six railways services here at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

They (probationers) would confront new problems as the world is changing fast. However, they should be able to meet those challenges with a spirit of innovation, an open mind and willingness to learn. The nation expects them to face the challenges with fortitude as they are the agents of change, Mukherjee said.

"It (the Railways) connects people across the length and breath of the country with a rail network of more than sixty-six thousand kilometres. The Railways continues to be the main source of connectivity for people as well as the movement of goods," the President said.

Mukherjee said the probationers should always remember that people have reposed in them tremendous trust. Therefore, they should carry out their responsibilities with dedication and ensure punctuality and safety of passengers.

The probationers who called on the President were from Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS), Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE), Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) and Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE).