31 women from Saudi Arabia have completed the first phase of high-speed train driving training.
According to the Saudi Gazette report, these women drivers will now have to drive trains for 5 to 6 months with experienced train drivers in the second phase.
The training program for women to run high-speed trains was started in March this year.
These women have completed 483 hours of theory training covering railway basics, traffic and safety rules, occupational hazards, fire fighting as well as technical aspects of train and railway infrastructure.
Earlier, when the recruitment of 30 women was advertised for the training of women train drivers, 28,000 women sent applications.
Out of these 145 women were interviewed and only 34 women were included in the first phase of training.
More than 70 percent of women who pass the first stage have university education.
By December next year, these newly recruited drivers are expected to operate high-speed trains running between Saudi cities.
