At a time when the recent tragic railway accident in Orissa involving three trains has captured attention worldwide, it is worth recalling the services of a Parsi train driver, Savaksa Lakdawala, for his decades long accident free service.
Attached to the BBCI railway (now Western Railway) he piloted the fast train Flying Ranee from Surat to Bombay Central. Stationed at Udhna, he had to leave his place very early in the morning to reach Surat. It was a very strenuous job, remaining for hours in the coal-fired cabin of the engine, keeping a constant watch on the tracks, warning with whistles the men and stray cattle trespassing on the railway lines.
He was particularly alert when approaching the suburbs of Bombay so as not to miss any of the many "red” signals and thus avoid any blemish on his noteworthy career.
Reportedly, Lakdawala’s wife would stand on the balcony of their cottage in the Udhna railway premises waiting for the train driven by him to pass by and wave out to him, wishing him a safe journey.
This is recounted by a fifth generation descendant of Lakdawala.
PEARLYN REPORTER
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The editors’ note:
We requested the writer for a photograph of Lakdawala but she responded that she did not have one.