Rest-less at dead man's lever

CHENNAI: The derailment of an empty EMU rake at Avadi station early Tuesday must be another eye opener to the authorities preparing the roster for the train crew, mainly the EMU motormen in the zonal headquarters.

The accident, which contributed to the delay of Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat, among a few express trains and many EMUs on the section, has revealed the alleged ‘violations’ in the preparation of roaster for motormen who are understood to be reporting to duty without adequate rest in a state of fatigue in violation of the Railway Board (RB) rules.

The motorman of the derailed EMU, G Ravi, who has been suspended, is also said to have reported to duty without getting the mandatory resting period on Tuesday morning.

No resting time

Railway sources, having access to the roster of the motormen, disclosed to DT Next that Ravi had signed on at MMC (Moore Market Complex) at 7 pm and signed off at 10.05 pm at Arakkonam on Sunday (October 22).

Ravi had signed on again at 3.40 am and signed off at 6.40 am at MMC on Monday (October 23). The same night he had signed on yet again at 8.10 pm and signed off at 11.45 pm.

After four hours of rest, he had reported to duty at 4.45 am on Tuesday (October 24) only to suffer derailment of the EMU he was piloting from Avadi Car Shed to Avadi station an hour later.

The login and log-off stats of the suspended motorman was proof of the inconsiderate application of mind by the Chief Crew Controller who prepares the roaster at the behest of the Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (Operation) in Chennai Railway Division, claim loco pilots and motormen.

K Parthasarathy, joint general secretary of All India Loco Running Staff Association, an unrecognised union of Southern Railway representing the running staff, opined: “Authorities could argue that the motorman had 4 hours of rest, which is equivalent to the hours he had clocked on duty last, and hence it was inconformity with the rules. However, they have conveniently overlooked the fact that he had reported to duty at 8.10 pm on Monday, before the mandatory 16 hours of rest he was eligible for after he signed off at the headquarters Monday morning.”

As per the rules, the motorman who signed off at 6.40 am at the headquarters on Monday is eligible for headquarters rest till 10.40 pm on Monday. “But the roaster has been prepared for him to report to duty at 8.10 pm on Monday, which is a clear violation of the Railway Board rules,” he argued.

16-hour HQ rest

The Railway Board stipulates 16-hour headquarters rest for all staff.

The concerns expressed by the crew about the violation of the mandatory resting period of pilots could not be dismissed, if one were to go by the circular (available with DT Next) issued by JS Sehrawat, deputy director transport (I), Railway Board, to all zonal general managers on October 12, 2023.

It says: “Subject to exigencies of service, HQ rest of all Running Staff will be 16 hours irrespective of duration of their incoming trip. In exigencies of service, the existing provision will continue to be the minimum condition.”

Scattered timings

Motormen at the zonal headquarters accuse the officials of being inconsiderate to the difference in the nature of the work between loco pilots of express/mail/goods trains and motormen of the EMUs.

“A loco pilot of a mail/express starting from Chennai might sign off at Vijayawada or Erode or Bengaluru and have his mandatory rest before reporting to duty again. But, the working hours and resting hours of an EMU motorman, as in the case of Ravi, are scattered in a single day. It affects our rest or sleep pattern, which affects the judgement or reflexes of the motormen handling the Dead Man’s Lever in the motor car. Our erratic sleep pattern is never factored in by the masters of the roster,” lamented a motorman.

Indifference of railway officials came to the fore some time ago when they stuck a poster in the crew resting facility at MMC. The poster showed a child urging her motorman/loco pilot father to join her for play time. But, the mother intervenes and advises her daughter to stop disturbing her father's rest before reporting for duty.

Motormen with knowledge of the poster revealed that the poster was removed after they objected to it. They argued that only they were contracted to the Railway department as per the conditions of appointment and not their families.

Passengers’ safety at risk

Motormen/loco pilots pointed out that authorities do not realise that it was not just their alertness but the safety of passengers that has been put to test when the crew report for duty without adequate rest.

“What if the derailed EMU had passengers on board at Avadi? Months before the recent Balasore Express train tragedy, a loco pilot ramming into a stabled freight train was reported in the section. The loco pilot died and the assistant loco pilot sustained injuries in the accident. Accumulated sleep debt was also stated to have been the reason for the fatal accident then,” said some of the loco pilots.

It has been reliably learnt that similar minor incidents of fatigued motormen struggling on duty due to reduced cognitive ability and poor reflexes were reported on the same Chennai-Gummidipoondi section some years ago.

Reacting to the motormen’s charge, an official spokesperson of Southern Railway said, “As per hours of work and period of rest (HOER), suburban train working running staff are exempted to be given 16-hour rest at the headquarters. Other zones like Eastern Railway where suburban trains are working also have 12-hour rest at the HQ. Further, the link which is currently operating is prepared after discussions with recognised unions.”

Duty hours clearly defined in 2013’s committee report

A High Power Committee was constituted to review the duty hours of running staff and other safety-related categories. Page 132 of the report it submitted in 2013 revealed:

“Continuous/consecutive night duties, which were six in the present practice, should be brought down to two nights for the running staff after which he must be granted at least one full night in bed before being booked again so as to recoup from the sleep debt.”

If the third consecutive night working is inevitable at outstation due to operational exigencies, it may be permitted only if the following conditions are met with:

• Staff is given at least 10 hours rest before signing on for duty

• Duty to be performed by him involving 3rd-night working should be towards his headquarters station.

• On completion of the above trip, he should be granted full headquarters rest, including one full night in bed. However, three years later, a circular issued by DV Rao, Director Estt (LL), Railway Board, to all zonal general managers on October 13 insisted that…

• Continuous night duty for running staff should be limited to four nights with the fourth night towards headquarters.

• Subject to exigencies of service, a maximum limit of 125 duty hours per fortnight, should be laid down for all running staff.

• Limit of stay away from Headquarters for running staff should be fixed at 72 hours.

• Present classification of running staff under Railway Servants (Hours of work and period of rest) Rules 2005, should be maintained.