Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said Indian Railways needed to adopt technology with an open mind and set the bar high to meet expectations.
The national transporter has risen to the occasion for more than 100 years, the minister asserted.
"Railways is the sole organisation, known for multidimensional excellence, from technology to efficiency for meeting the expectations of the nation," he said.
"In the Railways, individual excellence, domain knowledge and competence are amazing," Vaishnaw said. "But collectively, we fall backwards somewhere and cannot reach our full potential."
"If we want to make the organization strong collectively, selection of top leadership should be purely performance-based and on the basis of suitability," he added.
The Minister said the Railways needed to move forward with a clear vision, absorb technology with an open mind, work with a cordial atmosphere and break hierarchies.
"We have to raise our aspiration level very high and set big goals," he said. "It won't work by just construction or whitewashing a station or building a good lounge."
At the event, 156 railway employees from various zonal railways across the country received outstanding certificates and awards from Vaishnaw.
Twenty-one shields were presented to various production units and railway PSUs for their outstanding performance and efficiency.