New Delhi, Aug 5 - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday flagged off the the first 'Ladies Special' train here for women commuters from Delhi to Palwal in Haryana and said the service would be extended to other nearby cities Sonepat, Aligarh and Ghaziabad soon.

'More 'Ladies Special' trains will be provided in the other suburban areas like Sonepat, Aligarh and Ghaziabad,' Banerjee said.

With a view to providing safe and hassle-free commuting for women, these trains will have women railway protection force and women ticket examiners aboard.

The train NP-5 will start at 8.25 a.m. from Palwal and reach New Delhi at 9.50 a.m. On its return journey, the train will start from New Delhi at 5.50 p.m. and reach Palwal at 7.25 p.m.

It will run on all days of the week except Sunday and will commence regular operations Thursday.

Regarding the 'Duronto' non-stop trains, Banerjee said all 12 proposed trains would be started this year.

Meanwhile, another 'Ladies Special' train was launched from Chattarpati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai to Panvel Wednesday.