‘Acha, ladki chala rahi hai!’

Ek train operator ko train operate karni hai toh apni responsibility pe karni hoti hai,” says Gayatri Singh, who joined Rapid Metro a year back. Following her campus selection at DN Polytechnic, Meerut, she took six month training to become a train operator.

Back home in Meerut, her choice of profession surprised many. She says, “My extended family was happy with my choice as they always wanted me to become a successful, independent woman. Today, it feels wonderful when I take my parents for a metro ride, whenever they visit me.”

Ask about the reactions she gets from the commuters, and the 22-year-old says, “Acha, ladki chala rahi hai! (Oh, it’s a woman driving). This is a very common reaction that I get from passengers.” There are many incidents that have stayed with her. “Once a group of friends took turns to crosscheck if I was the one driving the train. It was as if they couldn’t believe their eyes... Hum apni job kar rahe hai, ladke bhi toh drive karte hai (We are just doing our job. Men drive too). It will take time to change perceptions.”

So, what keeps her going? “Safety and coordination is immensely important in my job,” adds Gayatri.

My extended family was happy with my choice of profession. It feels wonderful when I take my parents for a metro ride, when they visit me

GAYATRI SINGH, TRAIN OPERATOR