Central Railway to provide jackets for staff safety

Mumbai: In bid to save the lives of engineers and workers on the tracks, the Central Railway (CR) has approved a proposal in principle to provide them with retro-reflective jackets. Besides gangmen, senior officers of the railway also go on tracks for inspection of the line. The move is seen as a step to improve safety standards of the railway.

 Assistant loco pilot (ALP) S.K. Vishwakarma (32) accidentally fell out of the train after the engine of the Howrah-Mumbai CSMT Express caught fire between Talni and Dhamangaon in Amravati district on May 6. He fell while inspecting the engine and succumbed to his injuries. Since then, the question of the railway personnel’s safety has come into the spotlight.

A senior railway officer said, “A proposal has been prepared to make available retro-reflective jackets to all engineers, technicians and workers who are expected to visit the railway tracks. After an accident on track, the station master and loader (hamal) go on the track to take a note of the damage. All of them will be provided the jackets.”

 The official said that the jackets will be provided in a phased manner.

Vidyadhar Malegaonkar, additional divisional railway manager, CR, said, “In principle, a decision has been taken to provide retro-reflective jackets to railway staff required to go on track during the course of their work to ensure their safety.”