LUCKNOW: Orai hailed Hari Shankar Verma, a 1987 batch officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), has taken over as the Member (Operations and Business Development) of the Railway Board and Ex-officio secretary to the Government of India.Verma is widely respected for his firm and uncompromising approach toward ensuring the safety of railway operations and passengers.Before stepping into his new role, Verma served as the Director General (Safety) in the Railway Board, where he played a key role in significantly improving Indian Railways’ safety performance. According to Indian railways, under his leadership, sustained process improvements brought down the number of consequential accidents to record lows.Over the course of his distinguished career, he has held several critical assignments in Indian Railways. These include serving as Additional Divisional Railway Manager in Mumbai (Central Railway), Divisional Railway Manager of Salem Division (Southern Railway), Chief Passenger Traffic Manager in Mumbai (Central Railway), Principal Chief Operations Manager at Hubli (South Western Railway), and Director General of the Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management in Lucknow.His contributions have earned him the honour of receiving the Railway Minister’s Award twice, along with several recognitions at the General Manager level. Verma has also undergone advanced management training in Singapore, Malaysia, and Italy, and is widely acknowledged as a specialist in railway traffic and management.
