Six staffers suspended for Kathua driverless train run

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 26

Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepur, Sanjay Sahu, on Monday said six employees had been placed under suspension following major negligence on Sunday morning when a driverless freight train ran for 75 km from Kathua to Unchi Bassi near Dasuya in Hoshiarpur.

Sahu said while a committee to probe the matter was already in Kathua today, six employees, Station Master, Kathua, pointsman, loco pilot, assistant loco pilot, traffic inspector and loco inspector, have been placed under suspension.

“If the inquiry points to negligence of other employees too, more employees will face the music”, he said.

Sahu was at Jalandhar City Railway Station to attend the programme of the inauguration of the renovation project here. Sahu said, “Till date, the cause of the incident has not been ascertained.”

He dismissed certain assumptions being made over the likely causes. “The engine of the train was shut. The incident happened as it was time for change of crew. It was not that anyone had gone for a tea break as was being said,” he said.

Sahu, who was alerted at 5 am yesterday and handling the control room, said, “As soon as we were alerted, we worked on all technical details of the gradient, point crossings, etc. We were even prepared on how the derailment would be done, if required. So, we had got the power in the electric lines snapped.”

Sahu said, “We threw sand on the rails so that the train could be slowed down. We did not use any wooden planks as was being said as it could have led to derailment.”

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