Ashwani Lohani appointed Railway Board Chairman after AK Mittal quits

New Delhi: Ashwani Lohani, the Managing Director of Air India, was on Wednesday appointed the new Chairman of Railway Board.

Lohani will succeed AK Mittal, who resigned as the Chairman of Railway Board following two back-to-back train accidents. Mittal tendered his resignation to Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Mittal's resignation came hours after Delhi-bound Kaifiyat Express got derailed in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district early on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Suresh Prabhu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered to resign, taking “full moral responsibility” for the recent train accidents.

At least 74 people were injured in the incident as nine coaches of the Kaifiyat Express got derailed after colliding with a dumper at around 2:50 am between Pata and Achalda railway stations.

On August 19, 23 people were killed and 156 injured after fourteen coaches of Utkal Express got derailed near Muzzafarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh.

According to official figures, 586 train accidents occured in the last five years, of which nearly 53 per cent were due to derailments.