The Railway Board has launched a review of safety measures concerning track and signal staff following the deaths of four technicians, who were run over by speeding trains within a span of one week across various rail divisions. The Indian Railways Signal and Telecom Maintainers’ Union (IRSTMU) joined the Board in discussing the safety lapses, reported PTI.
From October 7 to 11, four signal maintainers lost their lives while attending to faults in the signalling system. The most recent tragedy occurred on October 12, when senior technician Pawan Kumar Paswan was killed by an express train while working on a level crossing in the Ragia Division of Assam. Earlier, on October 11, 22-year-old signal maintainer Anil Kumar was struck by the Ghaziabad EMU Express near Mitawali station in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj Division. Another fatality occurred on October 7, when Akash Goswami was hit by the Rani Kamalapati Jan Shatabdi Express in Bhopal Rail Division.
Alok Chandra Prakash, General Secretary of IRSTMU, highlighted the persistent challenges faced by signal staff, including the lack of proper equipment like walkie-talkies, severe staffing shortages, and delays in addressing long-pending demands, such as the creation of night duty rectification teams. “We have repeatedly voiced concerns about the safety of our staff, yet critical issues remain unresolved,” he said.
In addition to requesting the provision of walkie-talkies for all teams, union members demanded the formation of three-person crews for track repairs, which would allow one member to monitor train traffic and prevent further accidents. IRSTMU President Naveen Kumar stressed that current staffing levels often force one or two workers to handle repairs, leading to dangerous situations where track workers are unaware of approaching trains from the opposite direction.
Kumar also noted the rising issue of mobile phone use by station officials, which causes distractions for workers dealing with urgent repairs. “These distractions have resulted in many accidents,” Kumar said, reiterating the union’s call for walkie-talkies to enhance communication and safety.
The union continues to push for a ban on the use of personal audio devices, such as earphones, by staff during work on live tracks. Additionally, they demand the speedy approval of a long-pending “Risk and Hardship Allowance” from the Finance Ministry. “We expect decisive action from the Railway Board to address these life-threatening challenges,” Prakash added.
(With inputs from PTI)