Citing that ‘unwarranted pulling of chain and alighting from train in the mid-section led to the train accident near Batuva village in Srikakulam district on April 11 night, the Waltair division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Tuesday launched an awareness campaign in this regard.
On April 11 night, some passengers on board the Coimbatore-Silchar Express allegedly pulled the alarm chain in the mid-section between G. Sigadam and Cheeurupalle and alighted to the adjacent track, without observing the Bhubaneswar– CST Mumbai Konark Express. Five passengers were run over by the train while one person was injured.
“The drive against pulling of alarm chain without sufficient and suitable reasons will be intensified. It has been observed that people pull the alarm chain to get out of the train at unauthorised stops or mid-section. People also pull the alarm chain when they want to board a train at the last minute of departure. Such an act is not only illegal, but also dangerous and can lead to mishap,” said Waltair Divisional Railway Manager Anup Satpathy.
Penalty
“Misuse of alarm chain is a criminal act. If the chain is pulled without any emergency, action can be taken under the Section 141 of the Railway Act. If a passenger uses the alarm chain without sufficient cause, he or she can be fined ₹1,000 or imprisoned for a year, according to a statement issued by A.K. Tripathi, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Waltair Division of East Coast Railway (ECoR).
Mr. Satpathy asked the officials to keep a watch on instances of unwarranted chain pulling, especially in the crowded trains. “Unwarranted chain pulling in the mid-sections hampers train schedules. This can also lead to mishaps,” he said.
