Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has lauded Indian Railways for its rapid and coordinated assistance during Operation Sindoor, commending the timely mobilization that significantly boosted operational readiness.
In a formal letter to Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar, General Dwivedi highlighted the swift placement of a rake for ammunition transport from the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) near Pulgaon, Maharashtra, within just 24 hours of the Army’s request. He described the response as having “set a new benchmark in military-civil cooperation and mutual trust.”
“Indian Railways has always backed the Indian Army in any national emergency, and it was reaffirmed during Operation Sindoor,” the Army Chief wrote in his message dated August 14, 2025.
While appreciating the collective effort of Indian Railways, 16 officers were specifically honoured for their pivotal contributions in facilitating troop and logistics movement.
Among those recognised were:
- Railway Board Officers: Satyam Prakash, Happy Walia, Ravi Jain, and Neeraj Maurya
- Zonal Leaders: Afzal Karim Shamsi (North Western Railway), Madhukar Roat (Northern Railway), Rajesh Kumar Mandal (Northeast Frontier Railway)
- IRTS & IRSME Officers: Dhirendra Kumar Verma (NCR, 1996 batch), J Sanjay Kumar (Sr DOM, Jhansi, 2015 batch), and Rahul Shukla (Sr DME, Jhansi, 2011 IRSME)
- Divisional Operational Managers: Uchit Singhal (Jammu), Rahul Albela (Ambala), Sunil Kumar (Khurda), Gurusharan Pathak (Ferozepur), Lokesh Kumar Singh (Jodhpur), and Md Rashid Nadeem (AOM Coaching, Asansol)
General Dwivedi extended his best wishes to Indian Railways, describing its partnership with the Army as a cornerstone of national preparedness.
Speaking to The Times of India, Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information & Publicity at the Railway Board, said, “This recognition not only highlights the operational readiness of Indian Railways but also reinforces the strength of India’s civil-military collaboration in times of national need.”
