Jamshedpur’s Ritika Tirkey the first tribal Asst Loco pilot to operate Vande Bharat Express

Jamshedpur, Sep 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the Tata-Patna Vande Bharat Express on Sunday, being operated by SS Munda the loco pilot and Ritika Tirkey (27) as the assistant.

27-year-old Ritika Tirkey, a driver from Jharkhand’s tribal community, hailed as a symbol of women empowerment and a trailblazer for tribal society, has been entrusted with ensuring the safe operation of the train.

Ritika is probably the first tribal woman in the country to be in charge of a Vande Bharat Express as an assistant loco-pilot.

Talking to the media, on the eve of Vande Bharat Express flag off, the Senior Assistant Loco Pilot, a mechanical engineer from BIT, Mesra, said that she believes that women in India can achieve all their goals if they try hard enough.

“Yes, I am extremely happy to have been given this opportunity and I shall give my best. I believe that women in India can achieve everything so long as they have that passion inside them,” Ritika, originally from Gumla, said.

After obtaining her BE degree from BIT, Mesra, Ritika opted for a career in the Indian Railways. She joined the Chakradharpur Division of South Eastern Railway (SER) in 2019 as a shunter and then went on to drive goods and passenger trains before being promoted to the rank of a Senior Assistant Loco Pilot and given the opportunity to assist in driving the Vande Bharat Express.

“There was always the spirit of adventure involved when I decided to join the railways instead of looking for a regular job elsewhere. I would like it if more women take this up as a career. Women can always lead the way,” said Ritika, who now lives in Jamshedpur, with her husband.

Deepak Jha, principal chief operations manager (SER), said that this will certainly inspire other women, including those from the tribal community, to aspire for careers in the railways.

PM Modi flagged off six Vande Bharat trains including Tata-Patna at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station via video conferencing.