Deccan Queen train to have all-female staff on International Women's Day

MUMBAI: On the occasion of the International Women's Day tomorrow, the Central Railway (CR) has decided to deploy all-women staff on the popular Deccan Queen Express train that runs between Mumbai and Pune.

The Matunga Road station of the Western Railway (WR) will also be fully-managed by women from tomorrow, officials said.

"The Central Railway has decided to run the prestigious Deccan Queen Express between Mumbai and Pune by deploying an All Women Crew tomorrow to commemorate the International Women's Day," S K Jain, Divisional Railway Manager of Mumbai division of CR, said.

Asia's first woman train driver Surekha Yadav will pilot the express and senior assistant loco pilot Trushna Joshi will assist her, he said.

Sweta Ghone has been given the honour to work as on-duty guard of the Deccan Queen and will be giving clearance by waving the green flag on the Women's Day, Jain said.

"Besides, the ticket-checking staff, RPF personnel and electric technician will also be all-women," he said.

Jain also said that from tomorrow, train No. 11029 DN Koyna Express and train no. 11008 UP Deccan Express will permanently have women ticket-checking staff.

The CR has already appointed all-women staffers to manage its suburban Matunga station, which found its way into the Limca Book of Records.

The WR has also decided to appoint women-only staff to operate the suburban Matunga Road station from tomorrow.

"The Western Railway will have all-women staff at the suburban Matunga Road station. The total number of women employees posted there will be 31," chief PRO of WR Ravinder Bhakar said.

"The commercial department has deployed 13 clerks and three ticket checking staff, 11 operating staff (station master and pointsperson) and four RPF personnel. These staff will handle overall operations of Matunga Road station round the clock," he added.

Meanwhile, the CR will also set up a special counter at the suburban concourse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), which will be manned by all-women staff tomorrow, where they will seek suggestions and feedback from women commuters, CR's chief spokesperson Sunil Udasi said.

"All the suggestions will be taken into account and implemented as much as possible," Udasi said.

Ajni railway station in Nagpur, will also have all-women staffers from tomorrow, Udasi said.

"This is being done on the directives given by the CR General Manager to have at least one women-only station in each division," he said.