All-woman crew pilots Vidarbha Exp to mark International Women’s Day
   Date :09-Mar-2020
woman pilots_1  
 DRM Shobhana Bandopadhyay with all-woman crew that piloted Vidarbha Express at Nagpur Railway Station as part of International Women’s Day celebration. (Pic by Anil Futane)
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
“Women’s Day is all about believing in self and not just glorifying the weaker sex. Through celebration of International Women’s Day, we should try to believe in women power in real sense,” said Shobhana Bandopadhyay, Divisional Railway Manager, South East Central Railway, Nagpur Division, on Sunday. She was speaking after flagging off Train No. 12105 Vidarbha Express which was manned by all women crew at Nagpur Railway Station. The train as piloted by all women crew between Nagpur and Gondia Railway Station as SECR believed in women power to steer the rake on International Women’s Day. S M Mendhe was the Conductor of the train while TTE staff included Shika Yadav, R Shar, Soleman while Guard was Meenu Kumar. The train was piloted by Sunita Choudhary and Assistant Loco Pilot Shweta Sahu while RPF staff in escorting was Monu Kumar and Neelima.
 

woman pilots flag_1  
Vidarbha Express Conductor waves green flag to DRM Shobhana Bandopadhyay as the train rolls out of Nagpur Railway Station on Sunday. (Pic by Anil Futane)
 
At platform no. 3 there was excitement in air as the all women crew took up the charge of prestigious Vidarbha Express to mark International Women’s Day. DRM greeted the women staff by extending greetings of women’s day and also presented them with flowers and wished them best for their journey. Apart from that at SECR’s Nagpur the Itwari station was manned by all women crew on Sunday. Right from sanitation worker to booking clear and Station Master every duty was handled with aplomb by women staff. DRM Bandopadhyay visited Itwari Railway Station and interacted with the staff. Women staff handled all the units at station-life booking office, Reservation office, Parcel, ticket checking, enquiry booth, Operations, C&W, sanitation. Sunita Chandra got honour to work as Station Manager.
 
DRM while interacting with women staff here said that a woman has multiple duties and her daily life is full of challenges on home as well as work front. Although often taunted for being soft, the women in their daily endeavor shows the steely nerves with which they mark their presence in the society. A rally was also taken out by railway staff from Motibagh Stadium to Kadbi Square passing thorough Baileyshop Colony and Rail Museum.