Western Railways top boss cracks the whip on officials

Western Railway (WR) Mumbai Division top boss got a first-hand experience of the ills plaguing the system when he spotted officials traveling inside the motor coach and the cabin of the motorman/guard. The incident comes at a time when the Railway Police Force (RPF) is cracking the whip on those misusing railway facilities.

Sources said Divisional Railway Manager Mukul Jain was traveling had just alighted from the August Kranti Express, from Delhi to Mumbai, and arrived in the suburban section, when he witnessed people traveling not only inside the motorman/guard cabin, but also the motor coach.

Speaking to mid-day, Jain said, "I was returning from Delhi and when I entered the suburban section, I saw people travelling inside motor coaches."

What's a motor coach?
Motor coaches are marked with alphabet ‘B' and they house transformers, electric circuits and other machinery, which run the train. There is a small door for every motor coach, which is kept locked. It can only be opened using a special key, inside a railway yard and or a train car shed for maintenance purposes. In a 12-car train, there are four motor coaches, each powering two trailer coaches. It usually has lesser seats as compared to other.

11 nabbed for probe
RPF officials said that since yesterday, at least 11 people - mostly railway officials of various ranks - have been caught and explanation has been sought from them.

Though it is not unusual to see two or more people travelling inside the motorman/guard cabins; Jain demanded a probe on it too. As per rule, only the motorman is allowed inside his cabin while plying the train that ferries over 4,000 people during peak hours. Officials, however, said that these cabins are often used by the common man.