Venad Express (Train number 16302) operated from Ernakulam to Shoranur as a special train managed exclusively by women employees on Sunday morning, in connection with International Women’s Day.
All the supporting staff, including station masters, pointswomen, traffic and signal staff, at Ernakulam Junction, where the train began service, were women. An exclusive all-women batch performed mechanical duties such as shunting, and rolling-in and rolling-out examination at the station.
The train was flagged off jointly by G. Poonkuzhali, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Kochi City; M.S. Madhavi Kutty, Assistant Collector; and Gayathri P.G., Deputy Director, GST Intelligence. They interacted with the women crew members and station staff at the railway station. Nithin Norbert, Ernakulam Area Manager, Southern Railway, was present.
The guests honoured the crew members — T.J. Gorethy, the train’s loco pilot; K. Vidya Das, assistant loco pilot; P.B. Geethakumari, chief ticket examiner, and M. Sreeja, senior guard.
