All-women crew operate train, flights

All operations, including that of loco pilot, guard, and ticket examiners, were handled by women in the train, which left the Coimbatore station at 5.40 am.

The eight-member crew included loco pilot H Nimmy, assistant loco pilot BJ Sindhu, guard S Mareena, ticket checking staff Mythili, two chief travelling ticket inspectors PR Savithiri and Dhanya, and two travelling ticket examiners Helen Mary and R Nandhini.

On reaching Salem, A Annadurai, the Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Salem, E Harikrishnan, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Salem, and Uma Maheswari, Senior Divisional Finance Manager Salem, welcomed the crew and honoured them.

To empower women, the Railways is hosting a 10-day campaign between March 1 and March 10 on the theme #EachforEqual in a bid to signify that each person can help create a gender-equal world. It has also focussed on #SheInspiresUs to highlight inspiring stories of women achievers.

On the air front, an all-women crew operated an Air India flight from Chennai to New Delhi on Sunday with Capt Aarti Kurne and Capt B K Prithika as pilots and Meenakshi Kuntal, Arora Neena NB, Peer Geetha NB, Rashmi Surana and Priyanka Hirekhan as cabin crew.

The Chennai-Coimbatore-Chennai Air India flight was also operated by an all-women crew in both the directions with Capt Sonia Rani Jain and Vrinda Nair taking control and Karishma, Sarita, Zena, Maya and J Chetna comprising the cabin crew.