Several Central Railway (CR) staff on Monday held up a workmen’s special train, used to ferry railway employees, at Vidyavihar station after they found that the train was too crowded and no physical distancing was being observed.
The Karjat-bound train was stopped ahead of Vidyavihar station around 5.30 p.m. when protesting staff members blocked the tracks. CR’s Mumbai Division is running three emergency trains for essential staff in the evening. The train eventually left from Vidyavihar at 6.13 p.m.
A statement issued by CR said, “Considering the gradual restarting of passenger train services by Indian Railways, and additional frontline staff and back-end staff who are also required to run these services, Mumbai Division will run one more emergency vehicle for essential railway staff between 16.30-17.00 hrs in addition to the existing emergency vehicles.”
Venu Nair, general secretary of the National Railway Mazdoor Union, said the protest was spontaneous. The Railways should have run more services, she said considering that train services had been started. The employees at Vidyavihar had come from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus.
