Satish Kumar gets one-year extension as Railway Board Chairman, CEO

Satish Kumar's tenure as Railway Board Chairman has been extended by a year, with safety improvements noted under his leadership though congestion and crowd management remain challenges

The government has reappointed Satish Kumar, the incumbent Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board, to the position for another year, marking the first extension for the top office in five years.

 

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension in tenure of Satish Kumar, Indian Railway Management Service (Retd), as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Board, for a further period of one year with effect from September 1, 2025, on re-employment on a contract basis, on existing terms and conditions or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” a government order said.

 

Kumar took charge of the national transporter’s highest office in September 2024, becoming the first Dalit — from the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes — to hold the post, after serving as Member (Traction and Rolling Stock) at the Railway Board.

 

 

An officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), Kumar began his career with the Railways in 1986. Colleagues describe him as a “thorough technocrat,” known for a breakthrough on the “fog safe” device, now widely used across the rail network. 

 

Officials said safety-related incidents have declined significantly under his leadership — a key challenge when he took charge amid a spate of collisions and derailments. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Railways told Parliament that consequential train accidents had declined to 31 in 2024–25 from 40 in the previous fiscal, with only three such accidents recorded in the first three months of 2025–26.

 

However, congestion and crowd management at stations have remained persistent concerns during his tenure, including a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station in February that killed 18 people and injured 15.

 

Kumar will also oversee the completion and rollout of the much-delayed Vande Bharat sleeper trains, expected to be launched in the coming weeks.

 

He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in mechanical engineering from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur. His early postings included the Jhansi Division of the erstwhile Central Railway and the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, where he worked in locomotive engineering and maintenance. He later served in the North Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur, and Patiala Locomotive Works.