The Mysuru division bagged the overall efficiency shield of the South Western Railway along with multiple departmental shields for the financial year 2023-24 at the Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar zonal-level ceremony held in Hubballi on Monday.
Mysuru division, which achieved a historic milestone by recording its highest-ever revenue of ₹1,451.9 crore in the financial year 2023-24, was declared the joint winner of the overall efficiency shield for the same period. The shield was presented by Arvind Srivastava, general manager of South Western Railway, Hubballi, to Shilpi Agarwal, divisional railway manager of Mysuru division.
In addition to sharing the overall efficiency shield with Bengaluru division, Mysuru division secured the efficiency shields for accounts, commercial, medical, and operating departments. The division also clinched the inter-divisional safety shield and electrical traction distribution.
Ms. Agarwal said several initiatives have been initiated to enhance passenger travel experiences. These include the establishment of the Rail Madad War Room and regular drives to address grievances in real-time and prevent overcrowding in reserved coaches. This has led to a significant reduction in complaints handled by the Rail Madad War Room, with the average number of complaints decreasing from 90 in June 2024 to 50 by February 2025, despite increased passenger traffic during peak holiday seasons, she said.
Girish Dharmaraj Kalakonda, divisional commercial manager, said the Central Railway Workshop in Ashokapuram, Mysuru, was awarded for its outstanding efforts and achievements in staff training.
Bhesh Dutt, senior divisional mechanical engineer, received the innovation shield for developing a cost-effective Single Barrel Pressure Cylinder flushing system for train toilets. Additionally, two officers and 13 staff members were honoured for their exceptional contributions during the financial year 2023-24, said Mr. Kalakonda.
Despite numerous challenges, the Mysuru division achieved its highest-ever freight revenue of ₹993.52 crore in FY 2023-24, showcasing impressive year-on-year growth, according to the authorities.
The division transported 11.649 million tonnes of freight, driven by the aggressive and sustained marketing strategies of its business development unit. The movement of iron ore, petroleum products, and maize to distant destinations contributed significantly to this record-breaking performance, surpassing the figures of FY 2022-23, the authorities added.
In the passenger segment, the division generated revenue of ₹413.63 crore, carrying 33.09 million originating passengers. Despite ongoing safety-related works and electrification projects, the Mysuru division maintained an impressive punctuality rate of 96.32% for express trains and 96.83% for passenger trains during the year 2023-24, according to the railway authorities.
Published - February 11, 2025 07:18 pm IST
