CR pulls up loco-sheds, wants weekly reports

Central Railway (CR) has finally pulled up all locomotive sheds maintaining coaches of local trains and locomotive engines after failure of one of the five breaks of an Ambernath-CST train between Dombivali and Diva on September 21 and failure of diesel-locomotive engines of goods’ trains at Vanagini and Badlapur. CR has asked loco-sheds for a weekly account of every missing nut and bolt and every loose spring of every rake so as to put it all on record.

Loco-sheds in Kalyan, Kalwa and Sanpada and the diesel engine shed at Tilak Nagar have been asked to submit detailed weekly updates. The move comes on the back of local trains breaking down frequently as well as engines of goods’ trains failing twice in the past five days at far-off stations like Vanagini and Badlapur. CR top-brass has asked senior officials to submit comprehensive updates on a weekly basis.

CR divisional railway manager Amitabh Ojha said, “We have asked all sheds in Kalyan, Kalwa, Sanpada and Kurla to give weekly reports of which EMU rake or diesel engine locomotive has a problem. We have asked them to describe the nature of the problem and finally tell us if it has been fixed and if not, why!”

CR had come under severe criticism owing to breakdown of engines and different parts of local trains but the nail in the coffin came on October 30 when a battery located near the motor of a train heading from CST to Ambernath got loose between Byculla and Dadar station, scraping the platform between the footboard and the former as half of it was still attached to the motor with bolts. It was only after commuters alerted the motorman that the train was halted and a potential disaster averted considering the train could have even been derailed.