Forty nine people were apprehended for unauthorised alarm chain pulling across Tiruchi Railway Division in the current year up to June. The railway administration realised fine amount of ₹29,900 from the violators.
A Southern Railway press release said on most occasions alarm chain was pulled by passengers for trivial reasons, including missing belongings, no water in coach, malfunctioning of lights and fans and co-passengers unable to board or alight.
The release further said pulling of alarm chain without reasonable and sufficient cause attracts legal action under Section 141 of Indian Railways Act, 1989 which provides for punishment of imprisonment which may extend to one year or fine which may extend to ₹1,000 or with both.
Incidents of alarm chain pulling in trains not only affects punctuality of train services, but also consumes valuable time of rail passengers. Tiruchi railway junction alone handles over 150 mail/express and passenger trains daily on an average carrying passengers to their respective destinations.
Though the Indian Railways was striving hard to maintain punctuality of trains, the menace of alarm chain pulling has been identified as one of the major factors for delayed operation of trains.
Since the train has to run on the same track one after the other keeping a safe distance and controlled by auto signalling and monitoring system, any unusual stoppage of a train would not only affect the punctuality of that particular train but also of those trains running behind it consuming valuable time of rail passengers. In case of any emergency, public could contact Railway Helpline 139 or Security Helpline 182.
