There was something special about the 2.29 p.m. Borivili-bound local train, which left the bustling Churchgate station here on Tuesday. Busy commuters stopped in their tracks as a battery of cameras followed Priti Kumari, 34, Western Railway's (WR's) first motor-woman as she walked up to the train to take charge of her cabin.
Ms. Kumari is a direct recruit, who was selected by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB).
“It feels good that I have made history. I received a lot of support from my male colleagues and my seniors. I never felt like I was the only woman,” she said. Ms. Kumari said she was impressed by Mumbai local trains when she visited the city five years ago. Asked if hers was a challenging job, she said, “It's a good field. More women should come in. You can be in control if you work from the heart.”
A year's training
Sharat Chandrayan, Chief Public Relations Officer, WR, said, “After a year's training we felt she was ready. Anyone can apply for the post through the RRB. There is no quota; it's open for all.”
Before Ms. Kumari, the Central Railway had its first motor-woman Surekha Yadav in 2000 and another woman, Mumtaz Quazi in 2005.
Ms. Yadav is now a loco pilot for a mail train. “I have completed 21 years of service in the Railways and I have seen only two or three women come to this profession. Being a motor-woman is a tough job. There are no holidays; no national holidays either. We have to alert be all the time, follow the signals correctly, halt at the right time and be careful of trespassers. These things can be very pressurising. Plus, there are no fixed lunch hours and you are working alone,” Ms. Yadav told The Hindu by telephone.
