Railways takes special initiatives to celebrate women's day

From women TTEs to loco drivers, the railways has taken special initiatives to celebrate Women's Day tomorrow, the national transporter said today. An all-woman team is slated to run the Deccan Queen Express on the occasion, while an all-woman TTE team will man the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdi, a statement said. "There are more than 13 lakh railway workers employed in the Indian Railways, out of which there are more than one lakh women, which is constantly increasing. Special safeguards are kept for women railway personnel to get the right environment at the work site," the ministry said. The Matunga Station of the Central Railway has become the first station to be operated by women staff completely which also got its name registered in the Limca Book of Records. Matunga Road Railway Station of the Western Railway is also going to make its position in the list of railway stations operated by women personnel tomorrow. Maninagar Station will also be the first station of Gujarat to be manned by an all-women staff. The non-suburban Gandhinagar-Jaipur railway station has also recently joined the list of women-operated stations, the statement said. The railway today also lauded the contribution of its first woman loco driver, Surekha Yadav, who, it said paved the way for many others to follow suit. "The work of women's rail driver was considered to be a very challenging task. Surekha Yadav, the first lady loco pilot, took this difficult task three decades ago.

She became the first woman rail driver of the Indian Railways in 1989," the statement said. It also hailed Vandana Chaturvedi from Bhopal who joined as first woman guard in Indian Railways onApril 19, 1990. "After this many women of the country have chosen this work and have done it well. Today many women railway drivers and guards are working in various railway zones. Apart from this, railway women employees are taking up roles of gang women, supervisors", the statement said.

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