Women staff take complete charge of Patna Jn operations on Women’s Day

Patna: A team of women railway staff took complete command of the operations of the Patna Junction under Danapur division in East Central Railway (ECR), to celebrate International Women’s Day on Sunday.As part of the celebration, several key railway functions at the station were managed entirely by women employees, showcasing their growing role in the railways and their capability in handling critical responsibilities.According to Danapur senior divisional commercial manager (senior DCM) Abhinav Siddarth, the highlight of the day was the operation of the Patna–Islampur MEMU passenger train by an all-women crew. The train was driven by loco pilot Guddi Kumari with assistant loco pilot Kumari Divya while Manisha Kumari served as the train manager (guard), he said.“When the train departed from Patna Junction for Islampur at 10:30 am, a large number of passengers greeted and applauded the crew, appreciating their role on the occasion. Besides, at the station yard Ruby Kumari and Rinki Kumari efficiently carried out their duties as loco pilot shunters,” he said adding they handled the movement of empty rakes, pulling them and placing them on designated platforms with precision to ensure smooth operations.Other important services at the station were also managed by women staff throughout the day. Cleanliness work remained under their supervision while passenger reservation system (PRS) counters, ticket booking counters, enquiry services and ticket checking in-charge were handled by women employees much to their credit, Siddarth said.In addition, the crucial route relay interlocking (RRI) system, which controls train movements and signalling operations at the station, was also fully managed by women staff, he said.The event also aimed to highlight women’s increasing participation in technical and operational roles within the railway system. The celebration at the Patna Junction drew appreciation from passengers and railway authorities alike, making International Women’s Day a memorable occasion at the station, senior DCM added.