Breaking glass ceiling, all-woman staff pilots express train

Allahabad: There was nothing amiss about the sunny Friday afternoon when the Howrah-Jodhpur Express chugged to a stop at platform number 5 of Allahabad Junction. Be it the rush of passengers, an air filled with the quintessential aroma of fried snacks or the shrill calls of tea vendors. As the passengers rushed to board the Howrah-bound train, it took them a few minutes to register the woman loco pilot standing at the door of the engine, waving a green flag.
On stepping inside, the mystery only deepened when they saw only women employees welcoming passengers. By the time another woman came to check their train tickets, the passengers’ surprise was replaced by pride and happiness stemming from being piloted by an all-women staff.

An initiative of the Allahabad division of North Central Railway, an all-woman staff handled operations on board the Howrah-Jodhpur Express on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Friday.

Between Tundla Junction and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, women loco pilots, train managers and travel ticket examiners managed train operations and served the passengers.

The team of loco pilots comprised Anita Rai and Kajal Kumari (Tundla to Kanpur), Madhulata Verma and Julee Sachan (Kanpur to Allahabad) and, Reena Yadav and Vandana Gupta (Allahabad to Deen Dayal Upadhaya Junction).

“We wanted to make the International Women’s Day a memorable occasion for our women loco pilots and other staff members. Hence, they were asked to oversee the operations in Allahabad division. We would like to launch such exercises on a routine basis because we believe that our women employees are no less than their male counterparts,” said, divisional railway manager (Allahabad division), Amitabh.

One of the loco pilots on board the Howrah-Jodhpur Express on Friday Madhulata Verma described Friday’s work as an ‘emotional’ experience.

“It was a special moment for my colleagues and me as a loco pilot’s role is crucial for ensuring a successful and safe train journey. When my train arrived at the platform, my assistant loco pilot and I were thrilled,” said Madhulata Verma, who piloted the train from Kanpur to Allahabad.

Many passengers did not realise that they would be served by an all-woman staff until a few hours into the journey.

“We noticed a many women staff members standing near the engine and posing for photographs. Later, I noticed that another woman employee was holding a green flag in her hand and her colleague was talking on a walkie-talkie. It was then that I realised that they were not just ordinary railway employees but had actually piloted the train with hundreds of passengers on board,” said Pushpa Khanduja, a passenger.

“I was happy to see the women employees managing the train operations. Now that women can fly aircraft and fighter planes, why not passenger trains?” said Smita, a passenger who is a research scholar at Allahabad University.

In 2018, a team of women employees of Northern Railway had piloted the Lucknow-Prayag Intercity Express. Though the main loco-pilot and the guard of the train were male employees, all other staff members including the assistant loco pilot were women.