NAGPUR: In a bizarre incident, a loco engine brought for repairs at Central Railway's Ajni loco shed on Tuesday morning, travelled a distance of 1.5km in the shed without a driver, sources said. However, in charge of loco shed Sukhvinder Siddhu, divisional engineer (traction rolling stock), said the engine went only about 150 metres.
Sources said, the freak incident took place around 9am when the WAG-9 (30315) category of engine was placed on the testing line. The engine rolled down as its wheels were not locked with wooden wedges, as is the practice.
The rolling engine then stopped at the barrier towards Wardha-end. Siddhu said the engine rolled as handbrakes were not applied.
The mishap has exposed the laxity in...
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safety practices in the loco shed. At least 800 employees work in the shed and locomotive rolling on its own could have caused a tragedy. The loco shed was constructed under the railway electrification project and commissioned in 1990. It maintains WAG-7 and WAG-9 models.
The shed is one of top ranking across Indian Railways and has also secured ISO certification. It has been won 'Best shed of Central Railway' award on several occasions.
The railway unions have expressed serious concern over the incident. General secretary of Rail Kamgar Sena (RKS) Pramod Gondchar said such incidents occur as the shed was facing shortage of pointsmen, who are trained to handle such exigencies. "It's a serious lapse. Technicians here are not fully trained," said Gondchar.
However, Siddhu denied any shortage of pointsmen. Such incidents happen rarely, he added. But union leaders say lessons have not been learnt from similar incidents in the past.
The mishap exposed laxity in safety practices in the loco shed. At least 800 employees work in the shed and locomotive rolling on its own could have caused a tragedy. The loco shed was constructed under the railway electrification project and commissioned in 1990. It maintains WAG-7 and WAG-9 models.
The shed is one of top ranking across Indian Railways and has also secured ISO certification. It has been won 'Best shed of Central Railway' award on several occasions.
The railway unions have expressed serious concern over the incident. General secretary of Rail Kamgar Sena (RKS) Pramod Gondchar said such incidents occur as the shed was facing shortage of pointsmen, who are trained to handle such exigencies. "It's a serious lapse. Technicians here are not fully trained," said Gondchar.
However, Siddhu denied any shortage of pointsmen. Such incidents happen rarely, he added. But union leaders say lessons have not been learnt from similar incidents in the past.