Ashwani Lohani, CMD of Air India, has been named as the new Chairman of the Railway Board, following the resignation of AK Mittal.

Mittal reportedly submitted his resignation on Tuesday after he was asked to go on leave by the Railway Ministry.

Lohani, an Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME) cadre had served as DRM, Delhi Division; Director, National Rail Museum; and Chief Administrative Officer, Rail Alternate Fuel. He holds the Guinness Record for successfully running the ‘Fairy Queen Express’, the world’s oldest working steam locomotive.

Lohani holds four engineering degrees, has authored two books (one on steam engines and the other on management) and is credited with the turnaround of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and the India Tourism Development Corporation.

The Railway Ministry on Sunday sent three top officials on leave, suspended four local level officials and transferred another official after prima facie finding lapses in the maintenance work that led to the derailment of Puri-Haridwar Utkal Express in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday and claimed at least 21 lives.

Taking "moral responsibility," Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had offered to resign earlier in the day, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked him to wait.

(The article was first published in www.thehindu.com)