New Amravati Station Turns Pink
Nandini Rao | Mumbai
Central Railway's New Amravati station has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first station on the Bhusaval Division and the third station on the Central Railway (CR) network to be designated as a Pink Station, effectively managed by an all-female staff.
Central Railway has consistently demonstrated its commitment to gender equality and empowerment by providing equal opportunities to its women employees.
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| PINK POWER: The proud all-women team of New Amravati Station |
The distinction of pioneering the concept of an All-Women-Managed-Station within the Indian Railways was achieved by Central Railway's Matunga station on the Mumbai division, followed by Ajni station on the Nagpur division.
Central Railway continues to make strides in advancing women's empowerment with the establishment of New Amravati station as an exclusively women-operated facility within the Bhusaval Division.
This esteemed station boasts a team comprising 12 women employees, encompassing four Deputy Station Superintendents, four Pointswomen, three Railway Protection Personnel, and one Station Ticket Booking Agent.
With a daily footfall of approximately 380 passengers and the operation and passage of ten trains on a daily basis, New Amravati station stands as a testament to Central Railway's unwavering dedication to fostering women's empowerment and creating inclusive spaces within the realm of railway services.
It is worth noting that it was a good five years back, in January 2018, that Mumbai's Matunga station on Central Railway secured its place in the prestigious Limca Book of Records as India's very first all-women station.
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| A woman staffer of New Amravati Station at work |
This innovative and pioneering step was initiated by CR General Manager DK Sharma in July 2017, with the overarching objective of empowering women within the railway sector.
Women personnel were strategically appointed across all functional domains of the railway station, including 17 in commercial and operations roles, eight dedicated to ticket checking, six belonging to the Railway Protection Force, two serving as announcers, and an additional two in the conservancy department.
Additionally, five-point persons were designated, resulting in a collective team of 41 individuals, all under the adept leadership of Station Manager Mamta Kulkarni.
Notably, Mamta Kulkarni holds the distinction of being the first woman Assistant Station Manager to be recruited within CR's Mumbai Division in the year 1992.
Railway officials underscored the fundamental aim of this initiative, which revolves around cultivating an environment wherein women can autonomously make decisions pertaining to both their personal and professional well-being.
The overall vision is to foster a supportive framework where women's agency is paramount, irrespective of the organisational context.
Furthermore, within the Indian Railways' Mumbai region, significant milestones were achieved in advancing women's empowerment.
In 1988, Surekha Bhosale-Yadav made history by becoming the first woman train driver on CR.
This was followed by the introduction of the world's inaugural 'Ladies Special' suburban train on the Western Railway in 1992.
These landmark achievements stand as testament to the Indian Railways' ongoing commitment to enhancing gender equality and inclusivity within its operations.
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