Mangaluru : As many as 21 women technical and maintenance staff in Mangaluru Central Coaching Depot of Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division ushered in the International Women’s Day by undertaking primary maintenance of two rakes of trains on their own.

“We have demonstrated that women are capable of undertaking difficult and strenuous mechanical tasks like male counterparts,” said senior technician P.P. Suhasini, who led the team.

According to Binu Jose, senior section engineer in-charge of the coaching depot at Mangaluru Central, the administration decided to celebrate Women’s Day differently this time. The Coaching Depot of Mangaluru Central has over 450 employees, of which 85 are women. Primary maintenance of a rake is generally undertaken by a team of about 10-12 personnel comprising men and women.

Primary maintenance, to be done at regular intervals after the rake clocks prescribed distance, involves inspecting and fixing faults, the under-gear of coaches as well as internal cleaning and maintenance. The team inspected rakes of Train No. 56654, Mangaluru Central-Kozhikode Passenger and Train No. 56656, Mangauru Central-Kannur Passenger on Friday. While mechanical technicians inspected the under-gear of the coaches looking for any defects or faults and fixing them in the pit-line, electrical technicians inspected lights, fans and other electrical fixtures inside the coaches and fixed faults. Maintenance staff thoroughly cleaned the interiors and exteriors.