The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), operated under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), has marked a historic moment with the appointment of Sarita Yolmo as the first woman Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) to be entrusted with the prestigious “Tour Duty” on the iconic World Heritage toy train route.
Her deployment on the heritage railway makes Yolmo the first woman in NFR’s history to supervise DHR tour operations, a role traditionally held by male officials.
Railway officials said the assignment reflects a broader shift towards greater inclusion of women in field and technical roles within the Indian Railways system.
Sarita Yolmo’s career path reflects resilience and adaptability. She began her service in the Railway Press and continued there until the unit was shut down.
Instead of allowing the closure to stall her career, she transitioned into the commercial wing of the Railways and was later appointed as a TTE, currently based at New Jalpaiguri (NJP).
While she performs regular duties at NJP, she is now also being assigned DHR tour responsibilities, a milestone that symbolises changing institutional dynamics within the Railways.
Railway officials said her presence on the Toy Train is not merely symbolic but represents a meaningful step towards improving women’s representation in operational and frontline railway services, blending tradition with progressive change.
Parallel to this institutional shift, Indian Railways has significantly scaled up infrastructure investment in Assam and the Northeast.
According to an official report released on Monday, Rs. 11,486 crore has been allocated to the region — a fivefold increase compared to 2014 — reaffirming the Railways’ focus on faster, safer and future-ready connectivity.
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The report stated that railway projects worth Rs. 72,468 crore are currently underway across Assam and the Northeastern states, alongside surveys for new rail lines to expand the network.
Plans are also in place to establish rail connectivity to Bhutan through a proposed 69-km link from Kokrajhar to Gelephu.
Railway construction projects in Sikkim and Nagaland have resumed and are progressing rapidly, significantly strengthening regional and cross-border connectivity, the report noted.
Among the most prominent developments highlighted is the launch of the country’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train service on the Kamakhya–Howrah route on January 17, 2026, connecting Assam with West Bengal — described in the report as the most significant recent rail infrastructure milestone for the state.
As Report
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