An assistant loco pilot’s (ALP) bravery and presence of mind helped avert disruption of train services on the busy Vijayawada-Renigunta section and in the process also helped passengers on the Howrah-Ernakulam Anthyodya Express (22877) to reach their destination on time.
Senior SCR officials informed on Monday that unknown miscreants resorted to alarm chain-pulling and stopped the Anthyodya Express on Bridge No.553 at 3.10 p.m. between Tanguturu and Singarayakonda sections. To restore normal train movement, the railway staff generally reach the coach in question and reset the pull chain. However, since it occurred on a bridge, there was no path to walk up to and reach the coach. There was no provision of vestibule facility to reach the coach from inside the train which had LHB general second class coaches.
But ALP R.K. Jha started crawling from the loco underneath and LHB coaches to reach the affected coach, located tenth from the loco. He reached the coach but was unable to reset the knob from inside due to the crowd, so he once again crawled underneath to put the pull alarm back and allow the train to start.
In the meantime, train guard R. Viswanath arranged for an earth-moving machinery available near the bridge for new line construction and that allowed Mr. Jha to reach the ground and get onto the loco instead of having to crawl back. DRM-Guntakal Vijay Pratap Singh appreciated loco pilot M. Sridhar, Mr. Jha and Mr. Viswanath for their efforts to help resume the journey within a short period.
