Trailblazer: Asia’s 1st woman locopilot, Surekha Yadav set to retire after 36 years of service

Mumbai, Sep 19 (PTI) Surekha Yadav, who shattered the glass ceiling to become Asia's first woman locopilot, is set to retire at the end of this month after 36 years of service, an official from the Central Railway said on Friday.

Yadav joined the Indian Railways in 1989 and became an assistant driver the following year, making history as Asia's first woman train driver, the official said Born in Maharashtra's Satara district, Yadav completed a diploma in Electrical Engineering before joining the Railways and rose steadily through the ranks in the male-dominated field.

She operated a goods train in 1996, and by 2000, she was promoted to motorwoman. A decade later, she qualified as a ghat driver, eventually taking charge of mail and express trains.

For the last several years, Yadav has been operating mail and express trains on various routes.

On March 13, 2023, she had the honour of driving the inaugural Vande Bharat Express from Solapur to Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

As per tradition, she completed her final assignment by driving the prestigious Rajdhani Express on the Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi)-CSMT route, between Igatpuri and CSMT, on Thursday, a senior CR official said.

Yadav's remarkable career has been a proud chapter in Indian Railways' history and a powerful symbol of women's empowerment.

"Surekha Yadav, Asia's first woman train driver, will retire on September 30 after 36 glorious years of service. A true trailblazer, she broke barriers, inspired countless women, and proved that no dream is beyond reach. Her journey will forever remain a symbol of women's empowerment in the Indian Railways," the Central Railway said in a post on X. PTI KK ARU