Women's Day Special: Lone woman ranger on Mumbai's lifeline

Standing by the doorframe of the cabin of the local train she is motoring, Preeti Kumari admits that she is proud to have taken up a “different profession”. “But then, women fly aeroplanes and do far riskier jobs. Why so much hype over me? I’m just motoring a train,” says Kumari, 35, who works for the Western Railway (WR).

The only motorwoman on WR, she is the second woman to take up this occupation. The country’s first motorwoman, Surekha Yadav, motors long-distance passenger trains.

Kumari says all of the stress of the job wears off when commuters walk up to her to congratulate her. “It’s a matter of pride... It makes me feel like a celebrity. The other day, an elderly woman hobbled up close to my train cab and blessed me,” says Kumari.

The biggest professional hurdle, she says, is when she sees someone being run over under the train she is running. “Every time that happens, it’s sad.”

A native of Bihar’s Banka district, Kumari is a graduate in history (honours) and has earned a diploma in electronics. What Kumari misses the most is not getting to spend enough time with her 10-year-old daughter, Aditi, and her husband, who works for the Indian Air Force.