Jackie Pettyjohn is SEPTA’s first woman train engineer. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced early this month that the pioneering train engineer is retiring after 40 years of service.
After Pettyjohn finished her final trip from Philadelphia International Airport to Suburban Station on January 10, members of the community greeted her with affection.
Friends, coworkers, and loved ones welcomed Pettyjohn with balloons, cheers, and a well-earned round of applause at her final trip to commemorate her extraordinary career.
As she stepped off the train, SEPTA’s “first lady” gave enthusiastic onlookers hugs.
Overwhelmed by the crowd that awaited her final trip, Pettyjohn later told NBC10, “I was shocked. I did not expect that. When I went home, it just hit me. I cried Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, all day. I just couldn’t believe the outpouring of love they had for me and I have the same for them.”
According to a Facebook post from SEPTA, Pettyjohn initially learned about the job opening at SEPTA through an ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer in August 1984. She was hired a few weeks later.
According to BLET, she had a flawless attendance record and no operating rule violations during her time there, ranking first on the seniority roster.
READ ALSO: Meet the oldest woman to be crowned Miss France at 34
The transit agency wrote in a statement to CBS News Philadelphia, “Jackie Pettyjohn was a trailblazer for female train engineers. SEPTA is grateful for her 40 years of service, and we wish her all the best in her retirement.”
“She has said she had no intention of staying but she ended up falling in love with the job and despite the demanding hours, found a way to balance work and family,” the Facebook post said in part.
But becoming the first female engineer in 1985 was not without challenges. “I felt the pressure, like all eyes were on me — and it took a while for me to become comfortable because we had some old timers who were a little reluctant to work with me. They were a little in disbelief to see a female engineer,” Pettyjohn recounted in a 2017 interview.
NBC10 noted that although SEPTA may be losing its first female engineer, Pettyjohn has set an example for others. According to officials, 35 of the 202 train engineers employed by SEPTA are female.
Pettyjohn intends to travel and spend more time with her family in retirement.
READ ALSO: Meet Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Ghana’s first female vice president
