BENGALURU: In a dangerous, freakish incident that took place on a Namma Metro train near Rajajinagar on Sunday morning, a loco pilot (LP) inadvertently locked himself out and confined hundreds of passengers in three coaches for about 16 minutes. The train had halted midway at a curve and the LP, an inexperienced train driver who is meant to be used as a back-up only during emergencies, stepped out of the engine cabin to investigate but without taking the door keys and the doors got locked automatically.
According to a reliable source, the incident took place on the Green Line (Nagasandra to Yelachenahalli) at 11. 16 a.m. when the train had left Rajajinagar Metro station and was heading towards Mahakavi Kuvempu Metro station. “There is a certain curve along the route, near Navrang Theatre. The train automatically came to a halt there. Perplexed by it, the young LP Kamalesh Rai, who was running the train without an assistant loco pilot, stepped out of his cabin to check what had happened,” the source said. “The doors got locked automatically when he stepped out like it happens in automated cars,” he added.
A loco pilot is supposed to reduce the speed when crossing the curve. Due to inexperience, Rai did not do it and so the train automatically halted mid-track.Rai is part of the Emergency Response Team constituted within the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) by former Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola almost a year ago as a back-up team to steer trains in case of strike threats by the Bangalore Metro Rail Employees Union (BMREU) materialise.
Since the incident happened midway and not at any station, the doors of all the coaches with passengers too remained shut. “They can only be opened by the LP from the engine cabin or by a Station Controller,” the source said. Realising the dangerous situation he was in, Rai rushed along the Viaduct Pathway (emergency pathway along the side of the railway tracks meant to assist in evacuation operations) back to the Rajajinagar Metro station.
He reached the Control Room there.“Hearing about this, the Station Controller came rushing along with the LP to the train with a duplicate set of keys. The cabin was opened and the journey continued. This delayed the train by nearly 16 minutes,” the source added. The news was confirmed by a long-time Metro employee.
Union leader asks How BMRCL can allow inexperienced drivers
According to Ajay Seth,BMRCL Managing Director, the driver stepped out of his cabin as the emergency brakes got applied automatically. “The train was delayed by 10 minutes only. Our Station Controller later travelled with him for the next two stations,” Seth said.
Bangalore Metro Rail Employees Union vice president Suryanarayana Murthy lashed out at BMRCL for risking passengers’ safety in this fashion.“How can BMRCL permit inexperienced people to run trains and risk the lives of passengers? Any Loco Pilot is supposed to reduce the speed when crossing the curve. Due to inexperience, this pilot did not do it. The train’s operations are automated such that it stops on its own when such errors are made. So, it stopped midway forcing the Loco Pilot to step out,” he said.
“Again, it was his lack of experience which forced him to leave the keys inside. With over 300 Loco Pilots on BMRCL’s rolls who are well trained at Delhi Metro for six months, what is the need to permit such freshly trained individuals to be allowed to steer the engine?” he asked.