The Chennai-bound Chendur Express Train suffered a detention of more than 30 minutes at Tirunelveli Junction on Sunday night as the loco pilot reportedly failed to collect the mandatory ‘Brake Power Certificate’ at the starting point, Tiruchendur.
Sources in Tirunelveli Railway Junction said Loco Pilot Chelliah took the express train at Tiruchendur without collecting the certificate from the Station Master of Tiruchendur.
When he reached Tirunelveli Junction at 8.20 p.m., the loco pilot, who had to take the train up to Tiruchi, refused to operate the train as Chelliah could not hand over the certificate.
“Operating the train without this certificate is against the regulations of Indian Railways and hence the loco pilot, who boarded the train at Tirunelveli Railway Junction, refused to operate,” the sources said.
Having left with no other option, the certificate was handed over to the loco pilot at Tirunelveli Railway Junction after the technicians there checked the train at lightning pace while in the normal course it would have taken nearly two hours.
Finally the train left for its destination around 9.45 p.m.
When the railway officials asked Chelliah, who is the leader of a particular union in this region of the Southern Railway, about his “failure,” he replied: “The certificate was carried away in the wind even as I was manoeuvring the engine.”
