Matunga becomes India's first railway station run by women
Matunga suburban railway station in Mumbai has become the first station in India to be run by an all-women staff. A total of 30 women staffers, including eleven booking clerks, five Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and seven ticket checkers are working under station manager Mamta Kulkarni, who was the first female station master in Central Railway's Mumbai division. 
(Eds: Repeating after replacing word ladies with women) Mumbai, Jul 12 (PTI) In a bid to empower women, Central Railway has appointed all women staff at suburban Matunga station, a senior official said. Matunga station has thus become countrys first women special station. Women are manning this station on the Central Railway since last two weeks, said the official. A total of 30 women staffers, including 11 booking clerks, five RPF personnel, seven ticket checkers are working under the supervision of station manager Mamta Kulkarni since last two weeks, said the official. A formal event to mark all women railway station will be held soon, he said. The staff has been handling overall operations of the railway station round the clock, said the official. "Our experience has been very smooth or say some what magical. In my career spanning 25 years with the Railways I never thought of working with all women staff," said Kulkarni, who holds the credit of becoming first station master in Mumbai division when she joined Central Railway in 1992. "We are working like a family and with a sense of responsibility and cooperation," Kulkarni said, adding, initially we faced a few problems but now we are taking them in our stride as part of job responsibility. For instance points person Kirti Kothane, who never attended accident cases, has now learnt how to deal with run over cases. Even women ticket checkers deployed at Matunga station have learnt how to deal with male passengers while discharging their duties. 