ERODE: Two youth, including a minor, from Murshidabad in West Bengal, who had been operating trains in their State instead of a loco pilot for a long time, ran out of luck on Saturday in Erode. They were arrested when Railway Police Force (RPF) spotted them in uniforms at Erode railway station.
It was a shock for the RPF officers when they came to know that both the accused, a 17-year-old and a 22-year-old Esrafil had been operating trains. The minor has been operating trains for the past three years and Esrafil started to operate the engine three months ago.
The duo was caught on suspicion when the RPF noticed them in the loco pilot’s uniform carrying flags, multi-purpose torch lights and name badges. They were travelling on a train from Shalimar in West Bengal to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala to look for job opportunities.
During the questioning, the duo allegedly admitted to having been trained by a loco pilot in West Bengal, and the minor confessed that he has been operating trains for the past three years.
RPF sources said, “A loco pilot from West Bengal trained them as Assistant Loco Pilots (ALP) and later asked them to operate trains in his stead. They have been operating both goods and passenger trains. He also gave them uniforms, name badges and other items used by loco pilots. The two were also paid.”
Railway officers told TNIE, “The loco pilot paid the minor between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000. The boy started operating trains when he was 14 years old.”
The loco pilot started training Esrafil three months ago, they added. The Divisional Railway Manager has alerted the concerned authorities in West Bengal, and the loco pilot will be identified and action initiated, sources said.