In a initial for the Western Railway, an all-ladies crew has piloted a goods train from Maharashtra to Gujarat. “An all-female crew has piloted a goods train from Vasai Road to Vadodara on 5th January, 2021, and set a glaring example that no job is beyond the capacity of women to perform as well as to excel,” Western Railway stated in a press release dated January 6, 2021.
Western Railway’s initial all-ladies crew goods train was operated by a 3-member group of Kumkum Dongre, Udita Verma and Akansha Rai.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal hailed the initiative as a excellent instance of empowerment. “By efficiently operating the goods train from Vasai Road in Maharashtra to Vadodara in Gujarat, our women employees have set a wonderful example of empowerment,” Mr Goyal tweeted in Hindi. He added that it was ladies who handled each duty – from train loco pilot to guard.
महाराष्ट्र के वसई रोड से गुजरात के वडोदरा तक मालगाड़ी का कुशलता से संचालन कर हमारी महिला कर्मचारियों ने सशक्तिकरण का एक अद्भुत उदाहरण सामने रखा है।
इस ट्रेन में लोको पायलट से लेकर गार्ड तक की जिम्मेदारी महिला कर्मचारियों द्वारा संभाली गयी। pic.twitter.com/mEubyshNAe
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) January 7, 2021
Several Twitter customers hailed it as a milestone moment for ladies empowerment.
This is taking ladies empowerment to the subsequent level. From the Loco pilot to the guard, of this Freight Train are ladies. More energy to ladies.!
— Rukmani Varma (@pointponder) January 7, 2021
Really it is matter of pride for India ! Congratulations to you for empowering ladies to take up challenges and shoulder the duty ! Thank you pretty significantly !
— Bijoy Kumar Sharma (@BijoyKumarShar6) January 7, 2021
Sumit Thakur, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, cited the “gruelling nature of the job” and the want to travel extended distances as the explanation why pretty handful of ladies take up the part of guards or loco pilots. This will be a game-changer and an inspiration for other ladies to take up such difficult jobs in Indian Railways, he stated, referring to Western Railway’s initiative.