For motorwoman, job is a dream come true

Mumtaz Kazi would watch trains pass by her home as a child and was determined to drive one, someday. A 1989 amendment to the railway recruitment policy helped her realize that dream. She recalls her father, also a railway staffer, telling her that the "job of a motorman is that of great responsibility". Mumtaz now has a spotless 24-year record, with 10 of them being as 'The Motorwoman'.
She cleared the railway exam to earn a seat as diesel assistant driver in 1991. By 2002, she became one of the few women to drive both electrical and diesel locomotives.
She says her work "is dangerously responsible and male-oriented" but cherishes the support from her family and colleagues. A mother of two who strives to balance responsibility to her family and her job, she has only one expectation from her children: "I expect them to be good people".
Currently, she heads the 8:20 local from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Thane. She believes in trying one's best and leaving the rest to the Almighty. Mumtaz feels she is blessed to have achieved what she wanted to and wants to inspire more people along her way. "Think high of yourself, get a good education, make India proud," is her suggestion to all women.