'This is progress': Woman shares touching experience of travelling alone at night on Indian train

Mint

4 days ago

A LinkedIn post by Purvi Jain has gone viral for all the right reasons, reminding Indians that change, especially when it comes to women's safety, may be happening more quietly and steadily than we think.
In her post, Jain, who was travelling alone on a late-night train from Mumbai to Surat, shared a small but powerful experience that left her feeling deeply reassured about the direction India is moving in.
Around 11 pm, two women police officers entered her compartment, looked around, and asked, 'Seat 38 – Purvi?'
Momentarily confused, Jain confirmed her identity. What followed was unexpected.
'They stopped, checked whether I was comfortable, and asked if I needed any help. Then they gave me a helpline number to call if I ever feel unsafe,' she wrote in her post, which has now clocked thousands of likes and shares across platforms.
The officers, she later learned, were checking in on her because she was a solo female traveller — a small but significant safety initiative by Indian Railways and RPF (Railway Protection Force) to ensure women feel protected, especially on overnight trains.
An elderly couple seated next to her were just as moved. 'Their granddaughter often travels alone. Gestures like this make them feel reassured,' she said.
Jain praised the transformation she's witnessing as a frequent traveller, from faster ticket bookings and smoother Tatkal verification to the experience of riding on Vande Bharat trains.
'We're not perfect, and we're certainly not yet on par with developed nations. But moments like this show real progress is happening, even if it's one step at a time,' she reflected.
Jain's post has struck a chord online, with many applauding the silent efforts of Indian Railways and law enforcement.
A user shared a similar experience while travelling in Vande Bharat, 'Were we in the same train or does this happen on a daily basis? I was as well checked by 2 women officers while I was traveling from Mumbai to Surat last Saturday.'
Another user wrote, 'From the post and comments below it is clear that this is not an one off incident. Certainly a very praiseworthy initiative from Indian Railways and RPF.'
'What an interesting read! Hashtag#positivestories are much needed. At least it gives us some assurance that we are living in a world which has some positivity around us. Otherwise, reading newspapers (not the financial ones), which are full of crime stories on the very 1st page, is so negative, and I have made a point not to read them early in the morning or just skip those stories full of crime or death reporting. I guess we all should start sharing such incidents if we encounter any on social media platforms,' the third user wrote.
'This positiveness should be admired,' the fourth wrote on LinkedIn.
'Well penned! Yes, we need more … yes, we need it regularly at places police has not managed to reach yet … But incidents like these, offer reassurance for sure that some where some people are constantly putting in effort to make public transport safer for women ,' the fifth user commented.