Sarita Yolmo Becomes First Woman TTE on Darjeeling Railway Tour

By: WE Staff | Thursday, 12 February 2026

• Sarita Yolmo has been appointed as the first woman Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
• She was allocated the prestigious 'Tour Duty' on the world heritage railway

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone achieved a historic milestone when Sarita Yolmo became the first woman Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) to be entrusted with the prestigious 'Tour Duty' on the world-famous railway.

Sarita’s route to accomplishing this achievement is a testament to her perseverance. She started her career at the Railway Press, where she worked hard at her duty until the facility was shut down.

While one might perceive this change as hindering Sarita’s growth, she seamlessly transitioned to a new role at the commercial department, becoming a TTE at New Jalpaiguri (NJP).

Though she remains engaged with her routine activities at NJP, Sarita occasionally takes on duty for DHR Tour Duty as well and becomes a first in NFR history to helm heritage tours of the prestigious Toy Train.

However, her role on the Toy Train is significant and reveals more than just an occupation; there is an empowering move forward on women's involvement in the technical and functional sectors within Indian Railways. The story reflects the dynamic spirit within the railway system by combining tradition and modernity.

Further, Indian Railways have made provisions amounting to Rs 11,486 crores for infrastructure development in Assam and the North Eastern States. These are five times more than what was provided in 2014.

This development is testimony to their volition to develop rail connectivity within that region. The amount allocated to undertake our ongoing projects is Rs 72,468 crores.

New surveys are being conducted for developing the railway network further. There is a plan to develop a rail link to Bhutan via Kokrajhar to Gelephu, a distance of 69 km.

Similarly, the development of railway schemes for Sikkim and Nagaland is going ahead, and this would boost regional and international connectivity even more.

The most notable development now is that Assam has begun to run the first Vande Bharat Sleeper train service from the Kamakhya-Howrah route, which was inaugurated on January 17, 2026.