EMU motormen fear for safety after passengers’ assault at Sevvapet station
Motorman M Murugan, who was piloting Train 43717 bound for Tiruvallur from Beach station, was manhandled by a group of angry passengers on the night of April 29.
Representative clash image
CHENNAI: Motormen of the EMU services in the city have raised deep concerns over the incidence of verbal and physical assault by unruly passengers after a motorman was assaulted by passengers at Sevvapet Road Station near Tiruvallur on April 29.
Motorman M Murugan, who was piloting Train 43717 bound for Tiruvallur from Beach station, was manhandled by a group of angry passengers on the night of April 29.
ALRSA (All India Loco Running Staff Association) office bearers and DREU members who protested against the assault at the division headquarters here, said that passengers had gathered around his cabin and abused Murugan at Sevvapet Road station, alleging that the train left the previous station (Veppampattu) in haste before they had even embarked. At one point, a few passengers attempted to assault Murugan, who smartly locked the door from within to prevent physical harm. But, one of them hurled a stone at him through the window, injuring his chin.
Murugan had piloted the train up to its termination point Tiruvallur and formally filed a complaint with the station manager and railway police.
An ALRSA member familiar with the incident said that it was not Murugan’s fault that the train left Veppampattu station before passengers alighted. “Motormen follow the signal on the post and the double horn signal from the train guard, who keeps track of passengers alighting and boarding trains. If the electric signal is cleared for piloting on the post and the guard blares the horn twice, he’ll pilot the train forward. It’s not operationally feasible for motormen to physically verify every coach at all stations,” said the member.
Adding that motormen regularly faced abuses from passengers, the motormen association members complained that they have no say in the signal clearance, but passengers vent their ire only at them. They insisted that the railway management deploy RPF personnel at stations like Veppampattu for trains that are operated during peak hours when stations witness maximum footfalls.
