Rambabu Vavilapalli, Sr Divisional Commercial Manager of Vijayawada Division, awarded prestigious Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar

Vijayawada: In a proud moment for Vijayawada Division, Rambabu Vavilapalli, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr DCM), has been honoured with the esteemed Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar. Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics, and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, presented the award at the 69th Railway Week Awards ceremony held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on Saturday.

Rambabu received this prestigious recognition for his exceptional service, including heroic efforts during the Budameru flash floods on 1 September 2024. Leading the commercial team through floodwaters, he orchestrated the rescue and relief operations for 4,100 passengers stranded on the Tamil Nadu Express at Rayanapadu. His timely actions ensured zero casualties, arranging special trains to safely transport passengers within 10 hours.

Under his leadership, Vijayawada Division achieved remarkable milestones, crossing ₹5,000 crore revenue in consecutive years (2022–23 and 2023–24) and recording the highest-ever freight revenue of ₹4,000 crore.

Divisional Railway Manager Narendra A Patil congratulated Rambabu, calling his efforts during the floods and commitment to passenger safety exemplary. Rambabu is one of six awardees from South Central Railway, a testament to his outstanding contributions to Indian Railways.