A group of 136 probationers of Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), Indian Railways Accounts Service (IRAS), Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), Indian Railway Service of Stores (IRSS) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (March 4, 2014).

Addressing the probationers, the President stated that Indian Railways is one of the oldest organizations in the country and its most significant contribution is that it is the biggest and till today, the cheapest mode of transportation which serves to integrate far flung areas of this vast country. When people from diverse backgrounds who speak different languages sit together in a railway coach, they just share a unique common identity, that of being railway passengers. He stated that punctuality, cleanliness and quality were crucial features of railway services which create a permanent impression on the minds of the numerous passengers who travel in trains on a daily basis. He urged the probationers to resolve to provide the best railway services to the people of the nation.

The IRTS probationers are presently undergoing training at the Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management (IRITM), Lucknow while probationers of RPF are undergoing training at Jagjivan Ram Railway Protection Force Academy, Lucknow. Probationers of IRAS, IRPS and IRSS services are undergoing 18 months training at National Academy of Indian Railways.