With the selection of Jaya Verma Sinha to the position, Indian Railways now has its first female CEO and chairperson of the railway board (CRB). She will hold the CRB position until August 31, 2024.
Sinha, a career railway officer, is slated to retire on October 1, and will be re-employed the same day till her service ends. She will succeed Anil Kumar Lahoti. Officials said Sinha’s appointment marks the beginning of a new chapter as she becomes the first woman to head the board since its establishment in 1905 - the first woman to be CRB in 118 years. Sinha was at the centrestage of the media briefing in June when, as member (operations & business development), she gave details of the electronic interlocking signalling system after the Balasore accident.
Since railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Lahoti were at the spot, Sinha had made a presentation on the rail crash to PM Narendra Modi.
Sinha, an alumna of Allahabad University, began working for the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) in 1988. She has experience working for the Northern Railway, South Eastern Railway, and Eastern Railway. She previously served on the board as an extra member (traffic transportation).