In a startling incident, a loco pilot abandoned a train carrying 2500 passengers midway, citing the completion of his duty hours. This abrupt departure left commuters stranded, raising serious concerns about passenger safety and operational protocols. The incident occurred amidst the journey, creating chaos and inconvenience for those onboard. Such occurrences underscore the critical need for stringent regulations and contingency plans to ensure the uninterrupted and secure transportation of passengers. This article sheds light on the details of the incident, repercussions and the imperative for enhanced measures in the realm of railway operations.
The Loco pilot incident
On Wednesday, at Burhwal junction in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district, more than 2,500 passengers from two express trains found themselves stranded. The staff of one train invoked duty hour limitations, while the loco pilot of the other train cited uneasiness before ceasing their duties. The passengers, left without water, food, or power supply, expressed frustration through a protest, taking to the rail track and obstructing the movement of another express train.
Over 2500 passengers stranded in Saharsa – New Delhi Special Fare Chhath Puja Special (04021) & Barauni-Lucknow Junction express (15203) at Burhwal junction as train pilots alighted off the train citing duty hours over & uneasiness during trains mid journey. pic.twitter.com/EYf6rx8y7k
— Arvind Chauhan 💮🛡️ (@Arv_Ind_Chauhan) November 30, 2023
This unfortunate event involved the Saharsa – New Delhi Special Fare Chhath Puja Special (04021) and the Barauni-Lucknow Junction Express (15203). Hours later, the North Eastern Railway (NER) dispatched staff from Gonda Junction to address the situation with the two express trains. According to the railway, the 04021, scheduled to depart on November 27 at 7:15 pm, left its originating station Saharsa on November 28 at 9:30 am, arriving in Gorakhpur over 19 hours behind schedule. The express, which had no scheduled halt at Burhwal junction, unexpectedly stopped around 1:15 pm.
People reacted on this train hault
The passengers travelling on the long route were exhausted. One of the passenger said, “Our journey was supposed to end in maximum 25 hours 20 minutes, but it’s third day in this so called ‘special train’. This is a special torture created by Indian railways for poor passengers like us. There is no water, no pantry car to buy food and no power supply. Both the loco-pilots and train guard have alighted from the train citing drowsiness.”
Railway officials responded on loco pilot situation
Visuals from Burhwal junction, shared by sources, depicted numerous passengers trying to obstruct the rail track and urging an immediate resolution for the delayed 04021 express. Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel made efforts to reassure the passengers.
The second train, Barauni – Lucknow Junction Express (15203), already delayed by over five hours and 30 minutes, reached Burhwal junction at 4:04 pm, where the train staff abandoned the locomotive engine.
One of the train’s loco-pilots expressed uneasiness and left the train. Prioritizing passenger safety, new staff was summoned from Gonda junction, and the train departed for Lucknow junction at 5:42 pm. The train reached Lucknow at 7:24 a.m.,” stated railways officials.
Similar incident occurred earlier
In a dramatic turn of events, a locomotive pilot halted a passenger train midway, stranding hundreds of passengers at Maharashtra’s Chandrapur railway station in the early hours of Monday. The Gondia-Ballarpur MEMU Special train, scheduled to resume its journey after a midnight stop at Mul railway station, remained stationary for over an hour. Frustrated passengers disembarked and sought answers from railway authorities, only to discover that the train driver had refused duty. Angry passengers captured videos of the ensuing confrontation between the loco pilot and the station master, highlighting the plea for written permission to extend duty hours.
Amid a surge of passengers converging on the station master’s office, urging the train’s continuation, the official contended that he bore no responsibility. He maintained that he had issued the green signal at the appointed time, placing the blame squarely on the loco pilot.
After an hour and a half, the station master ultimately granted written permission to the loco pilot, allowing the train to resume its journey towards Ballarpur.
Various media reports assert that the Indian Railway faces challenges in its daily operations and jeopardizes passenger safety due to a shortage of staff.
