Indian Railways has dismissed four employees in connection with an accident in which an unmanned freight train traveled 84 kilometers unmanned between Jammu and Punjab last month, an official aware of the development said on Sunday. It was announced on .
Triveni Lal Gupta, stationmaster of Kathua station, on-duty locomotive engineers Mr. Sandeep Kumar (locomotive operator) and Mr. Pradeep Kumar (assistant locomotive operator), and point man Sh. Mohd Sami, who had all previously been suspended, was removed from service on February 25 for negligence after a 53-car freight train ran out of control for nearly two hours.
“Improper steps taken by the station master Triveni Lal Gupta and the engineers could have led to loss of life and property. He failed to perform his duties, which led to traffic jams.” One of the officials quoted above spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Due to the traffic disruption caused by the accident, approximately eight inbound trains and four outbound trains were further delayed,” the official added.
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On February 25, the train started moving without anyone at the controls after the engineers forgot to apply the brakes when the train stopped at Kathua station, ostensibly for tea. After nearly two panic-filled hours, no one was injured as railway officials sounded the alarm, cleared the tracks and closed all crossings.
The train came to a halt at Punjab’s Uch Bassi station after railway officials placed sandbags and other track obstructions before coming to a halt on an uphill slope.
The termination letter, seen by HT, said that despite repeated counseling by supervisors and executives, such shortcuts were adopted at Kathua and should not be punished.
“The station master and the locomotive operator did not carry out the instructions given from time to time to avoid destabilization,” said another person aware of the developments.
Another official said the fired employees were asked to vacate their quarters.
HT reached out to a railway spokesperson for comment, but he was not immediately available.
The train began to move because the station was on a slope that continued for miles, allowing the 53 freight cars and two diesel locomotives to gather enough momentum that officials estimated speeds of nearly 100 km/h. That’s what it means.
According to the preliminary investigation report accessed and reported by HT earlier, the train “fell from platform 3 towards Pathankot Cantt, but the train was injured by Locomotive Operator Sandeep Kumar and Assistant Locomotive Operator Pradeep.・Adequate stabilization was not carried out by Mr Kumar and point man Sh Martin.” Mohd Sami”.
A point man is a trackside staff member responsible for many tasks, including making sure parked trains are secured in place and track points are placed correctly.
The report also condemned the station master, Gupta. Two men were identified as being at the helm of the train until Kathua took down the engine at the end of her shift.
