Surekha Yadav has achieved yet another feather in her cap. She has become the first woman loco pilot of India’s semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways tweeted:
Vande Bharat – powered by Nari Shakti. Smt. Surekha Yadav, the first woman loco pilot of Vande Bharat Express.
Driving railway engines is supposed to be hardy work. Surekha Yadav is known for breaking this myth of “women don’t drive railway engines’’. She became India’s first woman (locopilot) train driver in 1988 when she drove the first “Ladies Special” local train. In 2011, on the International Women’s Day, she became Asia’s first woman train driver to drive the Deccan Queen from Pune to CST through difficult topography. Now, she has achived the laurel of being the first woman loco pilot to drive India’s semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express.
This has significance in mainstreaming women and bridging the gender devide. Surekha Yadav is a role modle for young girls.
The Vande Bharat trains are India’s semi-high speed (high-performance, EMU trains) known for quick acceleration. These trains are changing landscape of passenger trains in Indian Railways. Unfortunately, Vande Bharat Trains often face stone pelting in Kishanganj area in Bihar and Murshidabad and Farrakka in West Bengal.
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