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Smt. Surekha Yadav, the first woman loco pilot of Vande Bharat Express. pic.twitter.com/MqVjpgm4EO
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) March 13, 2023
As per a Central Railway press release, she piloted the semi-high speed train between Solapur station and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai.The train reached CSMT five minutes before the scheduled arrival, a Central Railway release said, adding that on completion of a more than 450-km long journey, Yadav was felicitated at platform number 8 at CSMT.
Surekha hails from Satara in the western Maharashtra region.She became India’s first female train driver in 1988. She had won several awards at the state and national levels so far for her achievements.
According to railway officials, loco piloting on new routes involves comprehensive learning and the crew has to remain vigilant at every moment during the train journey.“The crew learning process involves signal observance, hands-on new equipment, coordination with other crew members, observance of all parameters for running of a train,” the release stated.
