Jaya Varma Sinha becomes the first woman Chairperson & CEO of Railway Board

The Centre today appointed Jaya Varma Sinha as the CEO and Chairperson of the Railway Board, making her the first woman to ever hold this apex position in the history of Indian railways.

Before this, Jaya Varma Sinha served as a Member with responsibilities for Operations and Business Development on the Railway Board. During her tenure, she oversaw the comprehensive management of freight and passenger services across the Indian Railways network.

Jaya Varma Sinha embarked on her career in the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) in 1988, accumulating more than 35 years of experience within the Indian Railways. Throughout her career, she held several significant positions, including Member (Operations & Business Development) on the Railway Board, Additional Member for Traffic Transportation on the Railway Board, and roles in diverse areas such as operations, commercial, IT, and vigilance.

Notably, she made history as the first woman appointed as the Principal Chief Operations Manager of the South Eastern Railway. She also served as the Railway Advisor in the High Commission of India in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where she played a pivotal role in inaugurating the renowned Maitri Express, connecting Kolkata and Dhaka.

Sinha was in the news recently, as the Operations and Business Development member, for her role in explaining the complex signalling system following the tragic Balasore accident, which resulted in the loss of nearly 300 lives.

Sinha is an alumnus of Allahabad University and has a passion for photography.