Kochi: Hundreds of passengers were made to wait for over an hour on Friday as the loco pilot of the Kollam-Nagercoil passenger reported late for duty citing drowsiness after working late the previous night. The train scheduled to leave Kollam at 6.50 am left an hour behind schedule.
Loco pilots in the Thiruvananthapuram division are seeking a change in the current “unscientific duty roaster” which they claim deny them “proper rest.”
“Only a single loco pilot is deployed for duty in MEMU trains. Unlike in other divisions, here the MEMU trains are operated on comparatively longer routes requiring five to six hours’ journey at a stretch.
“In the said case, the MEMU train reached Kollam by 12 midnight and he was asked to carry out another six-hour duty early the next morning. We demand that either an assistant loco pilot be deployed in such service or the duty roster be prepared so that the loco pilot gets proper rest,” said P.N.
Soman, south zone VP, All-India Loco Running Staff Association. The railway rules manual itself insists they should be given the same hours as rest as that of the duty period (subject to a maximum of eight-hour duty).
The loco pilots had earlier demanded a “driver change” at Thiruvananthapuram station for the MEMU service, but in vain. The demand comes even as 53 signal pass offence (jumping red signal which may result in mishaps like collision) by loco pilots were reported in the division in the last three years.
“We’d acceded to their request with respect to another train (Punalur-Guruvayur fast passenger) which now has two loco pilots on duty. However, a single loco pilot is deployed in MEMU services across the country and we can’t change the rules for the division alone,” said a railway officer.
