Southern Railway Launches Safety Drive After Loco Pilots Suspended for Signal Jumping
The Chennai Division of Southern Railway has announced a 15-day safety drive to be strictly followed by loco pilots (LPs) and assistant loco pilots (ALPs) to prevent Signal Passed At Danger (SPAD) incidents, where a train moves past a red signal without authorisation.
The drive follows the suspension of loco pilots and assistant loco pilots of the Yelagiri Express for signal jumping on July 6. The train, which departed from Dr. MGR Central Railway Station, halted at Avadi after loco pilot P.S. Rao complained of health issues. However, an inquiry revealed that he had jumped a red signal near Vyasarpadi Railway Station and had cited health issues to avoid penal action. The suspension is based on a preliminary inquiry, with the main inquiry yet to conclude.
Based on this and previous incidents, the division announced the safety drive, running until July 24, for all loco and assistant loco drivers.
A senior loco pilot said all pilots were being punished for the mistakes of a few crew members. While they welcomed safety procedures, pilots faced severe work pressure due to a large number of vacancies that have remained unfilled for years. This pressure includes running mail and express trains on time, as staff are penalised for punctuality lapses.
Another loco pilot noted that facilities such as running rooms have been modernised and there are no grievances there. However, inadequate rest and poor sanctioning of leaves harm morale. Although provisions for more leave and rest exist on paper, they are not implemented in practice, sources said.
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions stated in a memorandum that around three lakh posts are vacant across Indian Railways, increasing workloads for existing employees. Instead of filling posts, Railways has decided to surrender various positions. In the Loco Running Category alone, about one-third of posts—around 39,000—are vacant. This forces existing staff to work up to 14 hours at a stretch. Additionally, there are significant vacancies in Chief Loco Inspector (CLI) posts. CLIs are under pressure to make loco running staff work long hours and face punitive measures if they fail.
