Surekha Yadav, Asia’s first female engine pilot, has added a new accomplishment to her portfolio by becoming the first woman to control the semi-high-speed newly introduced Vande Bharat Express train, said the Central Railway.
On Monday, she operates the semi-high-speed train from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Solapur station.
According to a Central Railway press statement, the train departed Solapur station on March 13 at the right time and arrived at CSMT five minutes earlier than expected. After traveling more than 450 kilometers, Ms. Yadav was honored at platform number 8 at CSMT.
“Powered by Nari Shakti, Vande Bharat. Ashwini Vaishnav, the minister for railways, posted about Smt. Surekha Yadav, the first female loco pilot of the Vande Bharat Express.
Vande Bharat – powered by Nari Shakti.
Smt. Surekha Yadav, the first woman loco pilot of Vande Bharat Express. pic.twitter.com/MqVjpgm4EO
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (मोदी का परिवार) (@AshwiniVaishnaw) March 13, 2023
“Ms. Yadav notched another feather in Central Railway’s cap by becoming the first woman loco pilot of Vande Bharat Express,” the Central Railway stated.
Ms. Yadav, who is from Satara in the western Maharashtra region, made history in 1988 when she was recruited as India’s first female train driver. She had already received numerous honors for her accomplishments at the local and national levels.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the green signal for the Central Railway to operate two Vande Bharat Express trains for the CSMT-Solapur and CSMT-Sainagar Shirdi lines on February 10, 2023.
Moreover, the railway officials also added that loco piloting on the new route comprises extensive learning, and the crew member has to remain careful at every moment during the travel.
“The crew learning process involves signal observance, hands-on new equipment, coordination with other crew members, and observation of all parameters for running of a train,” the release said.
