India: 'Ladies special: men’s envy, women’s pride'

Article here. Excerpt:

'CHENNAI: Women cheered and men looked up with awe and envy as the Ladies Special chugged out of the Tambaram station in all pomp and glory on Wednesday. For women, the induction of this special train has come as a blessing to provide them a little relief from the peak hour rush. While women extend their heart-felt thanks to the railways; the introduction of women’s only trains did not go down well with many a man.

Kumudam, a 25-year-old school teacher was all praise for this initiative of the railways. “This special train will prove to be a boon to women, who have to take the train during peak hours. We don’t have to worry about starring and ‘accidental’ bumping,” she said.

At the same time her colleague Venkitaramani was not so keen about the idea of special trains. “Women are allotted special coaches in all trains. In this context the ladies only will be a luxury,” he said. According to him during the peak hours the demand for the suburban trains was high and there were a lot of men, who struggled to get into the trains. “Men run from one end of the train to the other to get into it and find a space for themselves. There has been no initiative to address our concerns,” he added.'