Kolkata: Eastern Railway has reported that 890 trains lost punctuality during the 2024–25 financial year owing to rampant misuse of the Alarm Chain Pulling (ACP) mechanism, a feature intended to be used only in genuine emergencies.
A total of 1,882 ACP misuse incidents were recorded last fiscal, resulting in delays to 785 Mail/Express and 105 Passenger trains. Although the system is designed for use during serious medical or safety emergencies, officials say it continues to be misused by passengers for non-essential reasons, such as waiting for delayed relatives or attempting to deboard at unscheduled stops.
“These avoidable delays not only inconvenience passengers but also disrupt train schedules, affecting the timely movement of people and essential goods,” said an ER spokesperson. “In many cases, individuals miss job interviews, medical appointments, or competitive exams,” he added.
The issue has persisted into the current financial year. Between April 1 and May 25, ER recorded 314 ACP misuse cases.
These incidents caused delays to 128 trains, 114 of which were Mail/Express services and 14 were Passenger trains. Additionally, 872 such incidents were reported between January 1 and March 10, 2025.
Railway officials have reiterated that unauthorised use of the ACP is a punishable offence under the Indian Railways Act.
ER has urged passengers to use the ACP facility only in genuine emergencies, to discourage misuse by others, and to report any such incidents. “Community awareness and cooperation are essential to curb this menace,” said an official.