Surekha Yadav isn’t just India’s first loco pilot; she’s also the first woman in Asia to operate a train! When asked about her favorite train, the one that she loved driving the most, she couldn’t make up her mind. She said she loved driving them all: from a sturdy goods train to Mumabai’s lifeline – the suburban locals, from mail trains such as Deccan Queen to the semi-high-speed Indian-made Vande Bharart Express (which she was the first woman to operate). Surekha has come a long way since 1989, shattering gender stereotypes and creating history in a field considered unconventional for women at the time.
Surekha believes that a machine cannot differentiate between genders. What matters is the person operating it – they have to be confident, well-trained and courageous enough to pursue this career.
Surekha hails from Satara, Maharashtra, and is a proud farmer’s daughter. Her father and the rest of her family firmly believed in the importance of educating girls and she owes her achievement and success to them, as it helped shape who she has become today!
With six months to go for her to retire, Surekha cannot believe she has completed 37 years of service with the Indian Railways and that she will soon have to leave this wonderful job…