East Central Railway Celebrates Independence Day with Grandeur

On August 15, 2026, East Central Railway observed the 80th Independence Day with great enthusiasm at its headquarters in Hajipur. General Manager Chhatrasal Singh unfurled the national flag, paid homage to the Tricolour and led an inspection of a parade comprising Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Scouts and Guides members. The railway chief conveyed warm wishes to railway staff, passengers, media personnel and all attendees.

Senior officials including Additional General Manager Amrendra Kumar, Principal Chief Personnel Officer Suresh Chandra Srivastava, Principal Chief Security Commissioner Amaresh Kumar and others also graced the occasion. Office-bearers from railway unions and associations, as well as officers and employees of East Central Railway, were in attendance.

Sunita Singh, President of the East Central Railway Women Welfare Organisation, participated in the celebrations alongside other members. In her address to the gathering, Singh highlighted that from January to July, the zone had accomplished notable milestones while maintaining its commitment to passenger safety and sustainable development.

During this period, the zone transported 126 million tonnes of freight, earning revenue of Rs 15,452 crore, and generated Rs 3,082 crore from passenger traffic, pushing total originating revenue over the year to more than Rs 19,000 crore.

Singh emphasized the zone's achievement of crossing the 200-million-tonne freight loading mark for the second year in a row. He further pointed out various passenger convenience initiatives, including the introduction of 19 new trains, expansion of two train routes and additional stoppages for 30 trains. Additionally, 609 coaches received temporary capacity boosts, and special trains made 3,425 trips up to July.

Under passenger amenities, Singh detailed enhancements such as the installation of eight lifts at four stations, four escalators at Muzaffarpur station, foot-over-bridges at four stations, and platform upgrades at 10 stations. One platform was lengthened, computerized announcement systems were set up at one station, and automatic passenger information systems were installed at 52 stations.

Infrastructure advancements were highlighted, with Singh reporting the completion of 26 km of track doubling, three road overbridges, electrification of 55 track kilometres, automatic signalling over 249 route kilometres, and Kavach equipment installation over 256 route kilometres. To honor the spirit of Independence, the RPF's canine squad performed demonstrations showcasing skills crucial for passenger safety and security.

Artists of East Central Railway presented a vibrant cultural program filled with patriotic themes, featuring dance dramas highlighting the bravery of India's armed forces and freedom fighters. To conclude the celebrations, Singh, Sunita Singh and other department heads released balloons into the sky, symbolizing patriotism, unity and national pride.