Nine policemen who were sent on escort duty were travelling on confirmed tickets on the Salem – Chennai Express. Yet, they were not aware of what was clearly a well thought-out and executed heist.
Even about a decade ago, assistant guards were in service to ensure the safety of cargo being transported on mail and express trains. Railway officials said these railway employees would travel in single luggage rake (SLR) brake vans. These vans would have racks for stacking cargo, vehicles and even perishable goods. Also known as “under guards,” their only task was to keep a watch on the parcels during their duty time on the train. Their duty was different from the chief guards. At the end of their duty, they would hand over the details of the parcel to the colleague relieving him and return to their base station.
Railway sources said that as long as the task was done by the railway employees, the details of cargo would be known to a very small circle of staff. However, it was no longer possible today as the contractor would rotate workers on his rolls from one duty to another and from one place to another.
Over a period of time, the Railway Board made a decision to phase out these posts as part of cost cutting measures, which also paved the way for outsourcing contracts to private firms who were given the responsibility of booking, loading and delivering parcels.
