Suneet Sharma has taken over the charge as the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Railway Board (Ministry of Railways) and ex-officio Principal Secretary to the Government of India. The appointments committee of the cabinet has approved his appointment. Sharma earlier worked as General Manager, Eastern Railway. He replaces V K Yadav who retired from the post after an extended tenure.
Sharma joined the Indian Railways in 1979 as a Special Class Apprentice while studying engineering at IIT Kanpur. A graduate in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, he has over 40 years of experience serving in the Indian Railways in various capacities. He has completed stints in operational working, maintenance in sheds, depots and workshops.
He was also the Chief Workshop Manager, Parel, Mumbai, where he was instrumental in manufacturing narrow gauge locomotives for hill railways. He also restored an old steam narrow gauge locomotive for the heritage Matheran line near Mumbai. During the 2006 Mumbai suburban train blasts, he was part of the team which put the suburban network on track within a few hours after the terror attack.
As ADRM, Mumbai CST, he is credited with increasing the services of the suburban network. During the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, he was part of the team that managed the aftermath of the attacks at Mumbai CST, Central Railway. As DRM, Pune, he was instrumental in adding infrastructure which brought about operational efficiency.
He also worked as Chief Mechanical Engineer for diesel locomotive works, Varanasi. He was the team leader for starting electric locomotive production. Conversion of diesel to electric locomotives took place under his leadership in record time and for the first time anywhere in the world. As General Manager, Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli, he set a record by doubling the outturn of the much-required modern passenger coaches in one year.
While working as a General Manager for Eastern Railway, he took the initiative to increase the speed of goods trains to a record level, and for completing a number of infrastructure projects of new lines and electrification, which not only resulted in operational efficiency, but also developed the local areas.
He is also known for bringing about systemic changes for ease of working and administrative reforms.
During the course of his career, he has won many professional awards. As General Manager (Modern Coach Factory Raebareli) and Chief Mechanical Engineer (Banaras Locomotive Works), the factories won the award for best production units.
Sharma has attended professional training in Germany and France and he has done an advanced leadership and management course at Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. He has also visited Iran as a consultant for the manufacture of locomotives.
