Train starts moving with guard mending glitch, escapes unhurt
Kolkata: The guard of Howrah-Digha Air Conditioned (AC) Express was saved by inches after the train started moving while he was working with the train's air pressure pipe under a rake. Despite repeated attempts by a railway staff to communicate with the locomotive pilot through walkie-talkie, the latter did not respond.
Then, one of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel rushed inside a compartment and pulled the chain to stop the train.
On Friday, around 11:30 am, Howrah-Digha AC Express left the station. After leaving the platform, the guard along with the driver felt there was some technical problem with the train's air pressure. Sources informed that the guard asked the locomotive pilot to stop the train and he, Guard S N Roy, got down from his cabin and went to check the air pipe.
While inspecting under the rakes, he found that a joint in the air pipe somehow had got separated.
He informed the pilot and started fixing the glitch. While he was working, few RPF personnel and railway staff were present there incase any assistance was required.
Within a few minutes, Roy joined the two portions and confirmed that he had fixed it properly. All of a sudden, the train started moving while Roy was still under
the rake. He promptly sat on the air pipe to save himself from getting run over.
Seeing the train moving without any intimation, a railway staff tried to communicate with the pilot but he did not answer his call on the walkie-talkie. Meanwhile, one of the RPF personnel, ran alongside the train and managed to board a rake and pull the chain from inside. Thus, the train came to a halt but till then it had travelled almost 100 meters with Sen almost hanging on the air pipe. After the train stopped, Roy came out from under the rake. Fortunately, he was unhurt.
South Eastern Railway spokesman Sanjoy Ghosh informed that an inquiry has been ordered. "It is possibly a case of miscommunication between the driver of the train and the guard," he said.
