Southern Railway continues to be miffed by alarm chain-pulling

Nearly a year after Southern Railway raised concerns over 'trivial' reasons for stopping trains by pulling the alarm chain, the menace continues.

The Southern Railway (SR) said Rs 3.72 lakh was collected as fine and 774 people prosecuted from January till May this year, a figure higher than the previous Rs 2.8 lakh collected from 737 passengers.

"Though the Indian Railways is striving hard to maintain the punctuality of trains being operated under its control, the menace of Alarm Chain Pulling (ACP) is adjudged as one of the major factors for the delayed operation of trains at the national-level," a statement issued by SR said. said.

During 2019 (upto May), it said, 774 people have been arrested and prosecuted with a fine of Rs 3.72 lakh.

Last year, the SR had apprehended 737 passengers and collected 2.8 lakh as fine for the offence from January-June 2018.

Co-passengers could not board/alight, missing of belongings, passenger got down to purchase eatables and did not return, no water in coach, light/fan not working, passenger overslept were among the common reasons behind passengers pulling the chain, it said.

Pulling the chains without reasonable and sufficient cause attracts punishment of imprisonment which may extend to one year or fine which may extend to Rs 1000 or with both, the the statement said.

The SR is operating, on an average, 1,305 Mail/Express trains everyday, apart from 652 EMU/MEMU suburban trains carrying 2.41 million people.