Lucknow: Hundreds of passengers aboard the Barauni-Lucknow Express were stranded at Burhwal railway station in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki after a loco pilot refused to work after hours.
One of the loco pilots said his duty hours were over, while the other claimed uneasiness before switching off their duties.
This incident on Wednesday reportedly kept North Eastern Railway (NER) officials on their toes for several hours as they grappled with the challenge of securing another loco pilot to continue the journey to its destination in Lucknow.
Confirming the incident, the NER said in a statement: “Upon reaching Burhwal station, the loco pilot of Train Number 15203 expressed discomfort with proceeding further. In consideration of ensuring safe and secure train operations, arrangements were promptly made for another loco pilot to take over, allowing the train to continue its journey to Lucknow in a safe and secure manner.”
A video has also surfaced, featuring an official believed to be the station master, who is heard informing passengers that the loco pilot had declined to continue, but another loco pilot was en route, and normal services would resume shortly.
The official mentioned that the train had arrived at the station around 1 p.m., and due to the unanticipated delay, passengers became agitated, highlighting the railway’s apparent lack of preparedness.
This led authorities to expedite the deployment of an alternate loco pilot.
Railway officials explained that the loco pilot’s duty hours were completed due to delays in the train schedule.
Consequently, the loco pilot brought in from Gorakhpur stopped the train midway to rest.
A senior official revealed that the train arrived at Burhwal railway station about six to seven hours behind schedule, resulting in the completion of the loco pilot’s duty hours.
Subsequently, the loco pilot disembarked from the train after completing his duty.
The train remained halted at Burhwal railway station for approximately two hours until a second loco pilot from the Amrapali train arrived.
IANS with edits