MUMBAI: The arrival of Train No. 22222 Mumbai Rajdhani at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Thursday marks the culmination of Surekha Yadav’s pioneering 36-year career, closing a chapter that redefined possibilities for women in Indian Railways.
Born in Satara, Maharashtra, Yadav charted an unlikely path to the locomotive cab after completing a diploma in electrical engineering and clearing the Railway Recruitment Board exam to join Central Railway as a trainee assistant driver in 1986.
She created history in 1988 by becoming India’s first female passenger train driver, entering a profession long dominated by men.
On Wednesday, Yadav took charge of the Rajdhani for the final time, an over 18-hour Delhi–Mumbai run doubling as her farewell journey.
Speaking to News18, she confirmed she will retire as Loco Pilot (Mail) after this run, with the train scheduled to reach Platform 14 at 11 am on Thursday, where a formal celebration is planned to honour her legacy.
Through her career, Yadav consistently challenged stereotypes, choosing to let her work on the tracks speak for itself.
She has driven marquee services including the Rajdhani and the Vande Bharat, and served as a ghat-loco pilot on the demanding Western Ghats route.
Key milestones include piloting the Ladies Special local in 2000, elevation as Express/Mail driver in 2011, leading an all-women Mumbai–Lucknow Special on International Women’s Day in 2021, and becoming the first woman to operate a Vande Bharat Express in 2023. She also drove the Deccan Queen from Pune to CST in 2011 and again in 2023, a route considered among the most challenging.
Her early breakthroughs are even more striking against today’s numbers: Indian Railways employs 2,037 women loco pilots out of a workforce exceeding 12.5 lakh, with fewer than one lakh women employees overall.
Leadership representation has also been sparse. In 2023, Jaya Verma Sinha became the first woman to head the Railway Board, the apex decision-making body. Only two women Mohsina Kidwai and Mamata Banerjee have served as Railway Ministers.
As the Rajdhani rolls into Mumbai under her command one last time, Yadav departs with more than accolades she leaves a template of persistence and excellence that has cleared the tracks for generations to come.
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