Lucknow’s political corridors echoed with calls to immortalize Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s vision for Indian railways as Vijay Bahadur Pathak, Leader of the House in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, proposed renaming the prestigious Indian Railway Transport and Management Institute (IRTIM) on Friday.
Invoking Rule 111, Pathak detailed the transformative railway advancements under the current regime. The Amrit Bharat initiative is revamping more than 157 stations, elevating hubs like Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi to international standards. High-speed corridors, broad-gauge expansions, and flagship projects like Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and Meerut Metro are accelerating at full throttle, symbolizing Uttar Pradesh’s leap into modern mobility.
Established as the cornerstone for training IRTS and IRMS officers, IRTIM has shone brightly for 18 years, securing top honors including a four-star excellence rating. Its origins trace back to Vajpayee’s era—the foundation laid in 2001 and inauguration in 2003 by the Bharat Ratna recipient himself.
On this birth centenary milestone, Pathak passionately advocated for the name change to ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee Railway Transport Management National Academy.’ He pressed the state government to champion this proposal at the Centre, ensuring Vajpayee’s indelible mark on India’s rail renaissance endures for generations.