After a trailblazing career spanning 36 years, Surekha Yadav, celebrated as India’s first female train driver, has retired from the Indian Railways. “Machines don’t see gender; they see your strength,” says Yadav, whose journey broke barriers in a profession once considered exclusively for men.
Born to a farming family in Maharashtra in 1965, Yadav was encouraged by her progressive parents to pursue her education. After training as an electrical engineer, she applied for a position as an assistant train driver in 1989, unaware that no woman in India had ever held the job. She saw it simply as an opportunity for a secure government role. It was only on her first day of training, when she found herself the only woman in the class, that she realised the path she was on. “I thought, if I don’t take up the job, someone else will. Since I’ve been selected, I’ll do it,” she recalls.
The initial years were demanding. The job required navigating India’s vast and complex railway network, often in harsh weather and across difficult terrain like flooded tracks and mountain passes. The challenges were compounded by unpredictable hours and a lack of facilities like washrooms for women on some trains. Yadav worked through two pregnancies and raised her children, maintaining the intense focus the job demanded. “If your mind drifts for even a microsecond, it can be dangerous for everyone on the train,” she explains.
Despite missing numerous family events due to her duties, Yadav credits the unwavering support of her family and male colleagues with helping her succeed. “My co-workers were great. They never made me feel like I was different because I was a woman,” she says.
Her pioneering efforts paved the way for the more than 2,000 women who now work as train operators in India. On her last day, Yadav piloted the prestigious Rajdhani Express into Mumbai, where she was greeted with a grand farewell celebration by her colleagues, complete with drums and dancing. When asked what she will miss the most, she said it was the “flashing signals”—the guiding lights that always showed her the way forward.
