TIRUCHI: A couple of express trains suffered detention at the Tiruchi railway junction on Tuesday night after a group of loco pilots of freight trains expressed their opposition to the new instruction directing them to sign at the goods yard instead of the existing practice of signing in at the Crew Controller office situated near the station.
The Chennai - Kanniyakumari express (Train No. 12633) and the Chennai -bound Rameswaram Express (Train No. 16852) suffered detention for 35 minutes and 60 minutes respectively at Tiruchi Junction as some of the loco pilots of express trains came in support of the loco pilots of the goods train.
A group of over 25 Loco Pilots with majority of them being piloting goods trains assembled in front of the Crew Controller office situated near the station and staged a protested opposing the new move put in place by the divisional authorities. They demanded the continuance of the existing procedure of sign-in and sign-out by the goods loco pilots at the Crew Control office before commencement of duty and after completion of duty hours.
Railway sources said the new instruction directed the goods loco pilots to sign-in and sign-out at the goods yard which was opposed to by them. The sources said since the vehicle arranged by the railway authorities on contract basis to bring the loco pilots from the yard to the crew control office was getting delayed frequently, it would affect their rest hour period. Hence, they wanted the continuance of the existing system.
Following talks with the protesting loco pilots, the instruction was temporarily put on hold, the sources added.
eom/ram
