Sonia Alaghehband, a former English teacher from Iran, came to Germany six years ago. Now she works here as a train driver – which is forbidden for women in her home country.
From
Miriam Dahlinger
Punctually at 12:50 p.m. last Tuesday, the S2 train leaves Schorndorf via Stuttgart for Filderstadt. Sonia Alaghehband, 45, operates the gearshift in the driver’s cabin. Alaghehband, short reddish hair, blue uniform, has often driven the route, she knows exactly when to press which switch. But so far there has always been an instructor behind her. Sure, she was a bit worried on her first day, she says later, that a signal on the track could unexpectedly show “stop” and she would have to react quickly, but then it was fun.