International Women’s Day celebrated on Central Railway, women employee achievers felicitated
· Free Press Journal
Central Railway celebrated International Women’s Day with enthusiasm on March 9, 2026. A function to felicitate women employee achievers of Central Railway was organised at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) under the aegis of the Central Staff Benefit Fund (CSBF).
The theme this year was Give to Gain, emphasising the importance of providing opportunities, support, respect, equality and recognition to women and, in the process, achieving progress, empowerment, inspiration and a fairer society.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
The event began with the traditional lighting of the lamp by Prateek Goswami, General Manager, Central Railway, and other dignitaries, accompanied by the chanting of Ganesh Vandana.
P P Pandey, Principal Chief Personnel Officer, Central Railway, and Chairman, CSBF, welcomed the distinguished guests with plant saplings and delivered the welcome address.
Prateek Goswami, General Manager, Central Railway, and Chief Guest of the function, felicitated women employee achievers of Central Railway and presented the Sashakt Naari Puraskar.
A total of 36 women employees were shortlisted for felicitation from different departments and divisions, including loco pilots, private secretaries, technicians, engineers, commercial inspectors, teachers, hospital assistants, section officers, office superintendents, clerks, RPF personnel and office assistants.
These included 12 employees from headquarters, three from Mumbai Division, two each from Parel, Byculla and Matunga workshops, three from Solapur Division, two each from Pune and Nagpur divisions, and eight from Bhusaval, including Division, Zonal Railway Training Institute, Electric Loco Workshop, Bhusaval, and Track Maintenance Workshop, Nashik Road.
Of these, 21 women employee achievers from headquarters, Mumbai Division, and Parel, Matunga and Byculla workshops were awarded individually.
The awardees included Anuradha Roy, who also received the Outstanding Woman Award presented by the Railway Board on March 8, 2026 in New Delhi.
The awards for women employees from other divisions were handed over to divisional representatives to be presented to the women employee achievers by the respective Divisional Railway Managers.
In addition, bicycles were presented to eight dependent unmarried daughters and sewing machines to three dependent spouses of railway employees as part of women empowerment activities.
Speaking on the occasion, Prateek Goswami said Central Railway has a strong workforce of around 9,000 women working in different departments at headquarters and across five divisions. He said a lot is being done for women empowerment on Central Railway, but much more still needs to be done.
The guest speaker at the event, Anupama Pandey, author and TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) alumna, delivered a presentation on discovering oneself and self-realisation of the importance of women in one’s life.
Central Railway has the distinction of having the first all-women managed station on Indian Railways, Matunga, followed by Ajni and Amravati.
Central Railway also runs ladies special suburban train services for women. Initiatives such as Meri Saheli and Mahila Suraksha ensure safe travel for women passengers, and Matrishakti provides assistance to pregnant women, including support during childbirth on railway premises in case of emergency.
Principal heads of departments, Hiresh Mina, Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Division, senior officers of Central Railway headquarters and Mumbai Division, office-bearers of CRWWO, and representatives of recognised unions were also present on the occasion.