WR motormen allege conspiracy against them -The Free Press Journal page 7 Dated 9.12.11
RADHIKA GANGADHAR Mumbai
The Western Railway Motormen’s Association ( WRMA), in a letter addressed to the divisional railway manager of Western Railway ( WR), has alleged a conspiracy brewing against the motormen and the administration by stating ” criminal/ terrorist activities are being schemed against them with the help of some train technical experts”. Dated December 8 ( Friday), the letter said that the recent technical snags experienced by motormen plying trains on the western suburban railway were being planted by certain anti- social elements whose deliberate aim is to cause a train accident in Mumbai and harm the commuting public in the long run.
” Recently, on trial basis, an attempt to cause a train accident was made on November 30 by making the brake ineffective at Vile Parle station. But motorman Shivakumar S, being experienced, vigilant and highly alert, sensed that something was wrong and applied the emergency brakes to thwart the accident.
After a long detention, the tampering was attended to by a group of train examiners and they found that, in this criminal conspiracy, someone had switched on the DCS key in the first motor coach of the train, resulting in brake failure when it was running at full speed,” P N Gupta, general secretary of WRMA said in the letter on Friday.
Quoting another instance, Gupta said, ” A few days ago, a railway employee saw a young boy and girl open the motor coach of a train stationed at Mumbai Central using a key that is exclusively meant for motormen or train examiners only.
Although this was immediately reported to the EMU control room, it is not yet known as to what action, if any, was taken in that regard.” The association has requested the railway administration to make necessary arrangements to lock motor coaches to stop intruders from entering and carrying out any such activities that may endanger passengers’ safety, the railways or even the motormen.
