Western Railway train manager, earlier known as a guard, Milind Satam, retired from service after 28 years and was given a farewell by his colleagues at Churchgate with a full band and trumpets. He was joined by his family and escorted to the guard lobby in a procession. He retired with a wealth of experience and fond memories and thanked Mumbaikars for their kind nature.

Speaking nostalgically with mid-day, he said, “I have seen it all, the extreme events of this city, from the window of the train. I was stranded on a train for eight hours during the floods of July 26, 2005. The train is our responsibility; we cannot abandon it, rain or shine. When the bomb blasts occurred on July 11, 2006, I was among the first to help my colleagues in the affected train at Matunga.”

“In my career, I have travelled extensively on Western Railway as a guard and have faced all sorts of experiences. But let me tell you, Mumbaikars are the best among all. They are kind-hearted and do not create trouble because they understand how the Railways work,” he said.