Bengaluru: The might of women was at full display at the city railway station to celebrate the International Women’s Day, as they were allowed to run the show, an official said.
“The day commenced with women staff flagging off the Bagalkot-Mysuru Basava Express with an all-women crew piloting the train out of the station to mark the Women’s Day,” a South Western Railway official told IANS here.
Additional Divisional Manager Kusuma Hariprasad, senior Divisional Security Commissioner D.C. Banerjee and other women staff flagged off the train to chug out of the station.
“Loco pilot Sireesha Gajini and assistant local pilot Mini Mubarak operated the electric train engine, while Richa Mani was its guard,” said the official.
The all-women train ticket examiners (TTEs) were Gomathi, Jayanthi, Bharathi, Swetha, Sona and Teena Mathew.
The railway protection force (RPF) staff on board the train who take care of their safety and security were Zeena Pinto, Geetha Rani, Sunitha and Nagadurga.
The train’s carriage and wagon crew were Latha and technicians Radhamma, S. Jayanthi, T. Saritha, Tamil Sundari, Yoshadamma, Bhagyamma and Jayamma.
The other women staff who were on board the train were air-conditioning crew N.P. Suchitra and her assistants Hajare Pallavi Roopkumar and Richel Ullaji.
“A freight train between Channasandra and Jolarpet in Tamil Nadu was also operated by all-women crew,” added the official.
Bengaluru divisional manager A.K. Verma felicitated the women crew for operating the trains at the city station and KR Puram station in the east.
“Honouring the women, the zonal railway division held various events such as talks and cultural activities for them,” added the official.
Platform 8 of the Krantiveera Sangoli Rayanna (KSR) main city station was spruced up to mark the occasion with colourful rangolis.
The Basava train, including its engine was also decorated with flower garlands and plantain stems to empower the women.
The engine sported a banner with ’empowering women in Indian Railways’.
