Central Railway (CR), as part of its International Women's Day celebrations operated the prestigious Vande Bharat Express Train with an All-Women Crew on March 8, 2025.
Train No. 22223, the CSMT-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express, was helmed & managed by an all-women crew making it a historic and inspiring journey. The train was steered by Surekha Yadav, Asia’s First Woman Loco Pilot, along with Sangeeta Kumari as the Assistant Loco Pilot.
Shweta Ghone served as the Train Manager, ensuring smooth operations throughout the journey.
A dedicated team of Women Travelling Ticket Examiners were deployed to guide passengers and ensure their comfortable travel. The team comprised of:
Head Ticket Examiners: Anushka K. P & M. J. Rajput
Senior Ticket Examiners: Sarika Ojha, Suvarna Pashte, Kavita Maral & Manisha Ram
The All-Women crew included a team of on-Board Train Hostess ready to serve the passengers. This comprised of: Monica, Rubina, Pooja, Namrata & Uma
The Vande Bharat Express with special All-Women Crew departed from CSMT at 06.20 hrs marking a significant milestone in Indian Railways' commitment to women's empowerment.
It was a heartwarming sight as the All-Women Operated Vande Bharat Express passed through Matunga station, India’s first All-Women managed station and the entire team of Matunga station exchanged signals with the Train Manager and cheered in celebration.
A Special Goods Train with an All-Women Crew was also operated on 08.03.2025 as part of the International Women's Day celebrations on Mumbai Division, showcasing the strength and capability of Women in Indian Railways.
The Special Goods train operated from Kalyan to Trombay comprising of 43 wagons with a load of 1150 tons was helmed by Sangeeta Sarkar as Loco Pilot along with Tejaswi Walke as Assistant Loco Pilot and Rohini Jadhav as Train Manager.
This historic initiative is a tribute to the dedication and excellence of Women in Indian Railways and aims to promote gender inclusivity in railway operations.
International Women's Day was also celebrated on Nagpur, Bhusaval, Pune & Solapur divisions of Central Railway.
On Nagpur Division various events were held where a large number of women employees participated. 69 outstanding Women employees from different departments were felicitated for their remarkable contributions in cultural, social, literary, and sports fields. Nagpur Division has 1,579 women employees with Ajni station entirely managed by 22 women handling train operations, booking, ticket checking, security, and signal & telecommunication functions.
On Bhusaval Division a Special Goods Train managed entirely by an all-women crew, was operated marking a momentous occasion highlighting the skills and dedication of women employees.
The train was steered by Smt. Jyoti Singh, Loco Pilot along with Shivani, Assistant Loco Pilot, and Bhagyashree Pimple, Train Manager.
On Pune Division, the First Women’s Barracks for Women RPF personnel was inaugurated. These barracks are extremely useful for rest to the women RPF staff working in Pune suburban area, women personnel posted in other places of the division like Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Daund, Ahmednagar (Ahilyanagar) who come to Pune for official work and women personnel working in Mumbai division and Solapur division who come to Pune for train escorting duty.
On Solapur Division, a women led ticket checking team was deployed on Solapur – CSMT Mumbai – Solapur Vande Bharat Express (train nos 22226/22225). The women's team efficiently managed the ticket-checking duties on the train service, reflecting their competence and commitment to passenger service and railway operations. This initiative highlights the division’s commitment to promoting women empowerment and recognising the invaluable contribution of women in the railway workforce.
These were indeed proud moments, celebrating the strength, dedication, expertise and leadership of Women in Indian Railways.
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