All-women crew run goods train
LUCKNOW: UPBCNE 13021--the goods train between Gorakhpur to Basti became the centre of attraction on Thursday for its all-female services.
Perhaps the only train in the state to have an all-women crew, it left Gorakhpur station at 12:15pm and reached Basti station at 13:25pm.
On Sunday, the NE Railways would also ply an all women crew passenger train (55141) from Gorakhpur to Nautanwa railway station in Maharajganj district to mark International Women’s Day. Initiatives are a part of NE Railways drive aimed at motivating female railway employees, including the crew members and to promote women empowerment in their own different way.
“It is just an attempt to motivate our female staff and to boost their moral on their day,” said Monica Agnihotri, divisional railway manager (DRM) NE
Railways Lucknow Division.
The goods train which shuttled between Gorakhpur to Basti on Thursday was led by loco pilot Samta Kumari, assistant loco pilot Shrine Srivastava and Guard Jagriti Tripathi.
“On International Women’s Day, we will run a passenger train with all women crew,” the DRM said. She said NE Railways had many of female employees working in various capacities and attached with different trains. “On Women’s Day we have deployed the female staff to send a message of women empowerment among the masses,” she said. On Friday, she also met the crew of the goods train and also those who will man the passenger train on March 8. She said she met the crew at the Gorakhpur junction and also met more than 100 female staff to boost their moral this Women’s Day. On Women’s Day, NE Railway’s Badshahnagar station would be completely manned by female staff, she said. The station falls under ‘B’ category and has a footfall of more than 4,500 train passengers in a day.