Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will flag off two “Only Ladies” EMU train services, one each for Delhi and Mumbai, from New Delhi on August 5. Three similar trains for Chennai are likely to be introduced on August 8.

The “Only Ladies” train for Delhi will start from Palwal in Faridabad district and will terminate at New Delhi railway station during morning office hours. The same train will depart from the New Delhi railway station in the evening and will terminate at Palwal. It will stop at nine stations en route and will run six days a week, except Sundays. The Northern Railway will induct a brand new eight coach Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) for the Delhi train.

Railway Protection Force’s (RPF) Bhairavi and Veerangana women police squads will be deployed on these trains to prevent unauthorised travellers from boarding. Even the Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) will be women.

On August 5, Banerjee will also launch the “Only Ladies” train for Mumbai. This train will operate between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Panvel. The three “Only Ladies” trains for Chennai suburban will run between Chennai Beach-Tambaram, Chennai Beach-Arakkonam and Chennai-Velachery.

Announced in the July 3 Rail Budget speech, these “Only Ladies” trains are essentially meant for the convenience of working women passengers during office hours. “They face considerable difficulties in travelling for work,” Banerjee had said in her Rail Budget speech announcing the introduction of these trains on the pattern of Mumbai suburban trains.