Ashwani Lohani appointed as new Chairman of Railway Board
Former chairman A K Mittal resigned from his post on on Wednesday following two train derailments in four days in UP.
New Delhi: Air India Chief Ashwani Lohani was appointed as the new Chairman of Railway Board on Wednesday.
Former chairman A K Mittal resigned from his post on on Wednesday following two train derailments in four days, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Mittal tendered his resignation to Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu earlier in the day.
Mittal's resignation comes hours after Delhi-bound Kaifiyat Express got derailed in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Atleast 74 people were injured in the incident as nine coaches of the Kaifiyat Express got derailed after colliding with a dumper at around 2:50 am between Pata and Achalda railway stations.
On August 19, 23 people were killed and 156 injured after fourteen coaches of Utkal Express got derailed near Muzzafarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh.
According to official figures, 586 train accidents occured in the last five years, of which nearly 53 per cent were due to derailments.