In the wake of a two-day bandh call by the CPI (Maoist), the railways have further suspended running of trains at night on certain routes, besides initiating other safety measures.
Night movement of trains on the Kharagpur-Tata Nagar and Kharagpur-Adra sections were suspended till June 18, while on other routes of the South-Eastern Railway (SER), the speed has been restricted to 75 kmph at night. Several trains under the SER zone were also diverted.
In the case of Eastern Railway, the speed on various routes has been restricted to 50 kmph at night, with instructions that these be run in bunches and convoy form with one pilot ahead of it.
The Railway Board has ordered that walkie-talkies of guards and drivers be in good condition. The RPF should be temporarily armed with wireless sets and where necessary, new ones should be provided to them for responding to any contingency.The East Coast Railway too has a 75-kmph restriction among other precautionary measures to avoid any “type of Maoist activity.”
Emergency control rooms were set up at the divisional levels, patrolling of tracks and bridges and vulnerable locations intensified and coordination established with the GRP (Government Railway Police) and district police for the smooth running of trains.
