Crew stir cripples train services

KOCHI: Four local trains were cancelled and several long-distance ones delayed following a flash strike called by loco pilots belonging to Ernakulam depot on Sunday over the use of breath analyzers by railway authorities to find if one has consumed alcohol while reporting for duty.
Later, the protest was called off after the association held talks with the divisional railway manager over the issue.Following talks, loco pilots were asked to undergo the test in passive mode, wherein one does not have to blow directly into the mouthpiece.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Ernakulam south station after loco pilots refused to take the breath analyser test as demanded by crew controllers.
Four trains, namely train number 56387/56388 (passenger trains between Erankulam and Kottayam), train number 66612 (Memu service from Ernakulam to Palakkad), train number 66301 (Memu service between Ernakulam and Kollam via Kottayam), were cancelled after the protest by the crew.
Meanwhile, the Gorakhpur-Thiruvananthapuram Raptisagar Express (12511) was cancelled partially (between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram central). Passengers of the express were later accommodated in Lokmanya Tilak-Thiruvananthapuram Netravathi Express (16345).
The flash strike began at Ernakulam south railway station around 11am when K P Varghese, loco pilot of the Ernakulam-Kayamkulam passenger (56387), was asked to undergo the test. Varghese was asked by officials at the chief crew control room to use the machine in which one has to blow air directly using a straw. The loco pilot refused to use the machine, citing 'chances of infection', as more than 100 loco pilots were using the machine a single day.
Since the test is mandatory for loco pilots before and after working hours, officials denied him the permit to operate the train.
"Though the railways has breath analyzers wherein one does not have to blow air directly into the mouthpiece, officials are forcing us to use unhygienic machines wherein one has to blow directly. Chances are high to catch infections as the same machine is being used by other loco pilots. We asked authorities to replace the machine with ones used by the police wherein one does not have to blow air directly," said Varghese, who is also the secretary of All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA).
They alleged that supervisors were insisting on the use of old instruments as per the instruction of the divisional electrical engineer in Thiruvananthapuram.
C S Kishore, working president of AILRSA, said all the depots except Ernakulam were using breath analysers used by the police.
About 130 loco pilots and 130 assistant loco pilots are working in the Ernakulam depot of the Thirvananthapuram division.