IRTS Hari Shankar Verma Assumes Charge as Railway Board Member

New Delhi, 03rd February 2026: Hari Shankar Verma, a 1987-batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer, has assumed charge as Member (Operations and Business Development), Railway Board, and Ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India, according to an official announcement.

Verma was serving as Director General, Safety, Railway Board, prior to his new appointment. During his tenure in the safety portfolio, Indian Railways recorded a reduction in consequential accidents, with emphasis placed on process-based safety improvements.

Over his career, Verma has held several key operational and managerial positions across zones and divisions of Indian Railways. These include Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Central Railway, Mumbai; Divisional Railway Manager, Salem Division, Southern Railway; Chief Passenger Traffic Manager, Central Railway, Mumbai; Principal Chief Operations Manager, South Western Railway, Hubli; and Director General, Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management, Lucknow.

Verma has also been associated with training and capacity-building initiatives in railway operations and traffic management. He has undergone management training programmes in Singapore, Malaysia, and Italy.

According to official records, Verma has received the Rail Minister Award twice along with multiple General Manager–level awards during his service career.