CHENNAI: U Subba Rao assumed charge as the new General Manager of Southern Railway on Friday, succeeding RN Singh, who retired on July 31. Before this appointment, Subba Rao served as the General Manager of Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

A 1987 batch Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME) officer, Subba Rao has held several key positions, including Divisional Railway Manager of Salem Division, Additional GM and Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer of South Western Railway, Chief Mechanical Engineer (Planning) of South Central Railway, Chief Workshop Manager at Mysuru Coaching Workshop, and Chief Workshop Engineer at Rail Wheel Factory, Bengaluru.

During his tenure at the Rail Wheel Factory, he oversaw a record production of two lakh wheels in a single financial year (2011-12). As General Manager of ICF, the production unit received several national awards, including the Best Production Unit Shield of Indian Railways and the National Energy Conservation Award for Innovation.