Title - Passengers stranded for hours as loco pilots go on flash strike

Passengers of three trains, including the Guruvayur-Madurai Express and the Nellai-Mumbai Express, were stranded for hours at the railway junction here on Monday, after loco pilots and their assistants went on a flash strike.The railway staff were apparently protesting to press for a charter of demands, including increasing the rest hours for train drivers.Their flash stir hit passengers the worst as several persons were forced to wait for over two hours, without knowing the exact reason for the delay. Many of those who arrived at the station eventually cancelled their tickets.As the sudden strike was called by the loco running staff association affiliated to the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU), the Guruvayur-Chennai and Nellai-Mumbai trains were stranded at the Madurai Junction.  Usually, the Nellai -Guruvayur Express train arrives at the Madurai Junction at 11 am and departs at 11.10 am. But on Monday, the train was stationed here from 11 am to 1.20 pm.“We did not know why the train was stopping for two hours. Railway officials had not announced the reason. When we asked the travelling ticket examiners (TTE), they said that some of the staff had gone on a strike,” said Rajendran, who was on his way to Villupuram on the Guruvayur Express.Several agitated passengers then gathered before the railway officials’ rooms at the station. However, the offices of the station manager and his deputy were found to be locked. Though the railway officials reportedly sought the deployment of the Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force in view of the stir, no police personnel were seen at the spot. Ironically, RPF personnel were found deployed before the office of the Divisional Railway Manager.A police source said that only two women police personnel were on duty at the junction as all the personnel were deployed at Pasumpon in view of  Thevar Jayanthi.

Eventually, a  police team led by Deputy Commissioner R Thirunavukkarasu rushed to the station and pacified the passengers. Finally, the Guruvayur Express departed at 1.20 pm, while the Mumbai Express set out at 1.40 pm instead of 11.45 am. The Coimbatore passenger train left only after 2.10 pm.

Issue Will be Solved Through Talks: DRM

Meanwhile, Divisional Railway Manager Ajay Kant Rastogi told Express that the issues raised by the loco drivers would be solved amicably through talks. “A meeting will be conducted on November 2 to consider their demands,” the DRM said.