Indian Railways Sees Surge in Women Loco Pilots, Numbers Rise Fivefold

The number of women loco pilots in Indian Railways has grown fivefold over the past ten years, reflecting a significant shift in a traditionally male-dominated sector, government officials confirmed.

As of 2024, 1,828 women are working as loco pilots, a sharp rise from just 371 a decade ago. Uttar Pradesh leads the numbers with an increase from 36 to 222, followed by Telangana (13 to 196) and Tamil Nadu (39 to 180).

“Women have entered roles such as loco pilots, station masters, trackmen, signal maintenance, guards, and gangmen. Currently, over one lakh women are employed in Railways, making up about 8.2 per cent of the total workforce,” an official stated.

Indian Railways has long been dominated by men due to its demanding work conditions, which include long shifts, challenging terrains, and duty hours extending up to 40-60 hours. However, women continue to break barriers, with the number of women station masters also increasing fivefold to 1,828 over the past decade.

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