Railway night patrollers still rely on vintage tools
The night patrol involves two people walking around back and forth on a 5-km length of the track every night.
The night patrol involves two people walking around back and forth on a 5-km length of the track every night.
The night patrol involves two people walking around back and forth on a 5-km length of the track every night.
Punalur, Kollam: Indian Railways proposes major reforms in many areas and is steaming ahead with a bullet train project, but employees on night patrol are still given a kerosene lamp and a five-feet long stick. Railway Board chairman Aswini Lohani had seen the plight of employees during a flash check at a Delhi patrolling spot. He had promised rain coats and latest equipment, but the Railways hasn't implemented anything.
The night patrol involves two people walking around back and forth on a 5-km length of the track every night. As night trains are set to start running on the Punalur-Chenkotta route from Monday, demands have been raised for improving of patrolling, considering the geographical features of the area, though they are akin to several other stretches of the vast Indian rail network.
Patrollers need arms and modern LED lights in red and green, considering the threat from not only wild animals, but also sabotage possibilities. They have also not been provided with walkie-talkie or other equipment to pass along messages. The cell phone has no coverage in tunnels on the 50-km Punalur-Chenkotta section. The area, closer to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu frontier, has elephants, leopards and poisonous snakes like King Cobra. A kilometer-long tunnel at the border has to be crossed with the help of a kerosene lamp.
The move is to deploy existing staff for patrolling on the Punalur-Chenkotta route as the appointment of 54 personnel is pending. Night service at the ghat section calls for 54 engineering staff. A plan to deploy women was shelved after protests. Nearly 300 Keralite employees had applied for transfer to the Punalur section which comes under the Madurai Division in Tamil Nadu, but the authorities haven't taken any action.
Archaic alert system
Frequent landslides and falling of trees on the stretch due to unscientific gauge conversion work are other worries on the rail line to Tamil Nadu from Kollam. Rules call for an idli-shaped detonator to be placed on the track, 600 m from the spot in case of landslides, tree fall or sabotage possibility. The loco pilot gets a warning as the train runs over it and a huge noise is produced. This 'art form' is a century old. A walkie-talkie can eliminate this archaic method.
Service extension
Two passenger trains arriving at Punalur from Kollam will be extended to Chenkotta from Monday. The Palakkad-Punalur Palaruvi Express will start service from Tirunelveli on Monday. MPs have sought its extension to Madurai, but it has not been approved.