Hyderabad’s Indira to ply Riyadh Metro trains

Hyderabad’s Indira Eegalapati is among the few women loco pilots associated with the Riyadh Metro, currently running trial trains and raring to go as the rapid transit system nears completion.

“It is really a proud moment for me to be a part of this world-class and prestigious project, especially being an expatriate,” 33-year-old Eegalapati, who has been employed as a train pilot and station operations master for five years, said.

She was working with the Hyderabad Metro when she came to know about the openings here and applied.

Eegalapati and two others from India joined in 2019 but soon Covid struck and they had to undergo the initial training virtually.

Currently, trial runs are going on and according to reports, the Riyadh Metro service is likely to become operational from early 2025. “It has been a really good experience so far. The people of Saudi Arabia are very friendly and have a great culture. I can’t imagine that I have already completed five years here,” Eegalapati said.