Deblina Roy, a resident of Tripura’s Ramnagar, is all set to drive a train. She became the first woman from the state to clear the Indian Railways exam to secure the post of Assistant Loco Pilot.

“It is a dream come true. Since childhood, I wanted to serve in the Railways, a mode of transport that is used by crores of Indians every day,” said an elated Roy.

During an interaction with media persons, she recounted how she came across an advertisement released by the Indian railways while she was preparing for civil service examinations.

“In 2018, I had cleared the prelims and attempted the mains later. I thought that it would be a good experience to start writing exams for the technical posts, but I got selected”, she said.

Congratulatory messages poured in for her on various social media platforms as she created history for the state.

Railways, she said, is a big platform that fulfils many aspirations. “I feel that no female candidate who is eligible for the role should deprive themselves of taking up the job because of their gender identity,” Roy shared.

In the present modern society, she said that it has become important for both men and women to contribute towards building a strong and financially independent family. “It is quite natural that people may want to see a man in the role for which I am selected, but times have changed,” she said.

When asked about her preparations for the exam, Roy said that it took her about four months to prepare herself. “As I saw the advertisement, I reached out to some of my seniors who were already working with the railways to understand about the job. I found it adventurous,” she added.

Although ferrying passengers from one end of the country to the other may be a challenge, Roy shared her determination to begin work as an assistant loco pilot.

Roy did her schooling at a private school and went on to pursue a diploma in Electrical engineering from Tripura Institute of Technology, after which she graduated with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from GMIT Kolkata.