South Central Railway concerned about Signal problems

Hyderabad, March 18: Loco crew - pilots and assistant pilots, are the eyes and ears of rail safety and hence, they should be proactive in reporting any unusual occurrence or defect noticed on the tracks or signalling systems during the course of duty, said South Central Railway (SCR) General Manager Vinod Kumar Yadav on Thursday.

Loco Inspectors should closely associate with the pilots, understand their requirements, reach out to their family members and build a trustworthy bond with them, he said, at the first-ever interaction with 40-odd loco staff from the six divisions at the Rail Nilayam, where he urged them to be free and frank with their suggestions.

The staff sought more employee-friendly duty charts, redress technical aspects concerning signaling systems, more coordination with the operating control, continuous refresher training and more weather-friendly conditions of the loco cabins to help them perform better.

They further sought drop boxes to be installed at the crew lobbies to ensure their representations were received and addressed promptly.

Issues concerning their health needs, leave, rest and family requirements were also discussed at the meeting called "Safety was the foremost priority for the Railways," said Mr. Kumar.

The GM affirmed that they were "valued members of the rail family and play a key role in the safety of rail operations". He assured them of a very positive response from the administration to any issue concerning the career and welfare of the loco running staff.

He called for "total alertness" so as to avoid even a minor unsafe incident as it impacts passenger safety and also entails strict disciplinary action. The staff should take care of their health, rest adequately, meet family needs and relieve stress.

Later, Mr. Yadav held a video conference with all Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) to review the issues discussed with the loco staff.

Man of the Month Awards were also presented to safety personnel. Senior SCR officers A.K. Gupta (Addl GM), John Thomas, Chief Electrical Engineer and others were present