President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the railways is not just the backbone of the country's economy but also of its unity and sociocultural diversity, and asked its officers to treat passengers as guests and provide best services. Addressing a group of 255 probationers of various Indian Railways services (2018-batch), who called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre here, Murmu said the railways is the lifeline of the nation.

"Millions of passengers daily reach their destinations through trains. Apart from being the employer of lakhs of people, it is also the carrier of dreams and aspirations of millions," she said.

At the same time, the railways is the backbone of not just the Indian economy but also of India's unity and sociocultural diversity, the president said.

"It is the responsibility of the young officers like you to carry forward the rich legacy of the railway ecosystem and strive to make Indian railways the provider of best quality services in the world," she told the probationers.

Murmu said people who travel in trains carry with them the memories of their journeys.

"I urge you all to treat the customers, especially the passengers as your guests and provide the best service and best experience that they can cherish. You must work towards increasing facilities for the senior citizens and differently-abled," the president said.

She also underlined the need to ensure safety of passengers by all means.

"With the advanced technology and Artificial Intelligence-based applications, efficient and fool proof systems should be designed giving utmost priority to rail safety," Murmu said.

She asked the young officers to contribute in charting a new path in technological advancement of the country by devising new applications and systems for people-friendly and eco-friendly transportation system.

Murmu said for Indian railways which caters to the needs and demands of millions of people every day and transports millions of tonnes of freight every month, harnessing technology to the best extent possible is a must.

"I am happy to know that Indian railways have shown excellence in administrative and technical fields by being innovative and adaptive. Its initiatives such as railway electrification, increased freight loading and revenues and the development of indigenous semi-high speed trains are steps in this direction," she added.

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