Latest news with #AllIndiaGuardsCouncil
New Indian Express
05-08-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Guard-less goods train derailed in Dhanbad on Jul 31, poses threat to passenger trains: Union
NEW DELHI: The derailment of a fully-loaded goods train on July 31 between Kodarma and Giridih in the Dhanbad rail division has prompted the All India Guards Council to raise safety concerns and renew its demand for urgent filling of vacant train manager posts, warning that such lapses pose a serious threat to passenger trains as well. The council said the derailment occurred due to the absence of a guard (also called a train manager) to assist or guide the crew of the train and protect its rear. The Dhanbad Division of the East Central Railway didn't respond to the council's claims. "When the train was proceeding in an upward direction on a gradient, the locomotive couldn't pull its weight, and it started sliding back. There was no train manager in it. The loco pilot informed the station master, who decided to arrange an additional loco which could assist the train from behind," D Biswas, General Secretary of the All India Guards Council, said. "Since the train was on a curve, the loco pilot couldn't exactly tell the position of the brake van (the last coach meant for guards) and the additional loco coming to assist from behind collided with the brake, resulting in its derailment," Biswas said. The council office bearers said an able train manager could have guided the additional locomotive properly, as such incidents are a safety hazard for rail operations. They referred to the General and Subsidiary Rules of the Railways, which entrust a train manager with the duty to protect the rear of the train. "The train manager has a crucial duty to play. In case any train, be it freight or passenger, stops in between two stations, its the duty of the train manager to not only protect the rear of his/her train but the incoming train as well by ensuring that the tail light is correctly exhibited and switch on flasher light to signal the incoming train of its unusual and unscheduled stoppage," SP Singh, former General Secretary of the AIGC, said. He added, "The Railway norms also say that it is the duty of the guard to place detonators on the track between 600 and 1,200 metres away from his/her train on the same track to alert incoming trains." The council said that due to several posts lying vacant, many divisions have to operate the freight trains with only a loco pilot and the assistant loco pilot, as their priority is passenger trains. Hence, guards are mandatorily provided in passenger trains, causing a shortage for freight trains. "As on December 31, 2024, 27.28 per cent of the positions of train managers were vacant in the Indian Railways," Singh said. "The total sanctioned posts of train managers in the Indian Railway are 53,229. As of December 31, 2024, there were 38,709 train managers working, and 14,520 posts were vacant. It is not a safe practice to operate trains without a manager. We demand immediate filling of all posts in the interest of safe train operations." According to Singh, Railways should realise that a freight train without a guard is a huge risk to passenger trains that share the same track. "In case a freight train stops due to a technical snag or any other reason in between two stations, it is a big safety hazard for the incoming passenger trains as the freight train is a potential threat to the lives of hundreds of passengers, Singh said.
Hans India
05-08-2025
- General
- Hans India
Guard-less goods train derailed in Dhanbad on Jul 31, poses threat to passenger trains: Union
The derailment of a fully-loaded goods train on July 31 between Kodarma and Giridih in the Dhanbad rail division has prompted the All India Guards Council to raise safety concerns and renew its demand for urgent filling of vacant train manager posts, warning that such lapses pose a serious threat to passenger trains as well. The council said the derailment occurred due to the absence of a guard (also called a train manager) to assist or guide the crew of the train and protect its rear. The Dhanbad Division of the East Central Railway didn't respond to the council's claims. "When the train was proceeding in an upward direction on a gradient, the locomotive couldn't pull its weight, and it started sliding back. There was no train manager in it. The loco pilot informed the station master, who decided to arrange an additional loco which could assist the train from behind," D Biswas, General Secretary of the All India Guards Council, said. "Since the train was on a curve, the loco pilot couldn't exactly tell the position of the brake van (the last coach meant for guards) and the additional loco coming to assist from behind collided with the brake, resulting in its derailment," Biswas said. The council office bearers said an able train manager could have guided the additional locomotive properly, as such incidents are a safety hazard for rail operations. They referred to the General and Subsidiary Rules of the Railways, which entrust a train manager with the duty to protect the rear of the train. "The train manager has a crucial duty to play. In case any train, be it freight or passenger, stops in between two stations, its the duty of the train manager to not only protect the rear of his/her train but the incoming train as well by ensuring that the tail light is correctly exhibited and switch on flasher light to signal the incoming train of its unusual and unscheduled stoppage," SP Singh, former General Secretary of the AIGC, said. He added, "The Railway norms also say that it is the duty of the guard to place detonators on the track between 600 and 1,200 metres away from his/her train on the same track to alert incoming trains." The council said that due to several posts lying vacant, many divisions have to operate the freight trains with only a loco pilot and the assistant loco pilot, as their priority is passenger trains. Hence, guards are mandatorily provided in passenger trains, causing a shortage for freight trains. "As on December 31, 2024, 27.28 per cent of the positions of train managers were vacant in the Indian Railways," Singh said. "The total sanctioned posts of train managers in the Indian Railway are 53,229. As of December 31, 2024, there were 38,709 train managers working, and 14,520 posts were vacant. It is not a safe practice to operate trains without a manager. We demand immediate filling of all posts in the interest of safe train operations." According to Singh, Railways should realise that a freight train without a guard is a huge risk to passenger trains that share the same track. "In case a freight train stops due to a technical snag or any other reason in between two stations, it is a big safety hazard for the incoming passenger trains as the freight train is a potential threat to the lives of hundreds of passengers,' Singh said.
Hindustan Times
05-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
Guard-less goods train derailed in Dhanbad on Jul 31, poses threat to passenger trains: Union
New Delhi, The derailment of a fully-loaded goods train on July 31 between Kodarma and Giridih in the Dhanbad rail division has prompted the All India Guards Council to raise safety concerns and renew its demand for urgent filling of vacant train manager posts, warning that such lapses pose a serious threat to passenger trains as well. Guard-less goods train derailed in Dhanbad on Jul 31, poses threat to passenger trains: Union The council said the derailment occurred due to the absence of a guard to assist or guide the crew of the train and protect its rear. The Dhanbad Division of the East Central Railway didn't respond to the council's claims. "When the train was proceeding in an upward direction on a gradient, the locomotive couldn't pull its weight, and it started sliding back. There was no train manager in it. The loco pilot informed the station master, who decided to arrange an additional loco which could assist the train from behind," D Biswas, General Secretary of the All India Guards Council, said. "Since the train was on a curve, the loco pilot couldn't exactly tell the position of the brake van and the additional loco coming to assist from behind collided with the brake, resulting in its derailment," Biswas said. The council office bearers said an able train manager could have guided the additional locomotive properly, as such incidents are a safety hazard for rail operations. They referred to the General and Subsidiary Rules of the Railways, which entrust a train manager with the duty to protect the rear of the train. "The train manager has a crucial duty to play. In case any train, be it freight or passenger, stops in between two stations, its the duty of the train manager to not only protect the rear of his/her train but the incoming train as well by ensuring that the tail light is correctly exhibited and switch on flasher light to signal the incoming train of its unusual and unscheduled stoppage," SP Singh, former General Secretary of the AIGC, said. He added, "The Railway norms also say that it is the duty of the guard to place detonators on the track between 600 and 1,200 metres away from his/her train on the same track to alert incoming trains." The council said that due to several posts lying vacant, many divisions have to operate the freight trains with only a loco pilot and the assistant loco pilot, as their priority is passenger trains. Hence, guards are mandatorily provided in passenger trains, causing a shortage for freight trains. "As on December 31, 2024, 27.28 per cent of the positions of train managers were vacant in the Indian Railways," Singh said. "The total sanctioned posts of train managers in the Indian Railway are 53,229. As of December 31, 2024, there were 38,709 train managers working, and 14,520 posts were vacant. It is not a safe practice to operate trains without a manager. We demand immediate filling of all posts in the interest of safe train operations." According to Singh, Railways should realise that a freight train without a guard is a huge risk to passenger trains that share the same track. "In case a freight train stops due to a technical snag or any other reason in between two stations, it is a big safety hazard for the incoming passenger trains as the freight train is a potential threat to the lives of hundreds of passengers,' Singh said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hans India
17-05-2025
- Hans India
East Coast Railway AGM interacts with staff
Visakhapatnam: Additional General Manager (AGM) of East Coast Railway Mohes Kumar Behera conducted an inspection at Visakhapatnam on Friday and participated in the Biennial General Body Meeting (BGM) of the All India Guards Council (AIGC) held at the Railway Institute. During the visit, Mohes Kumar Behera interacted with staff, train managers (Guards), and officers. Speaking on the occasion, he emphasised the paramount importance of safety, security, and enhanced passenger amenities. He urged the staff and officers to work diligently towards reducing passenger complaints by addressing issues efficiently. While interacting with the Train Managers, the AGM highlighted their critical roles and responsibilities, and encouraged open discussion regarding their grievances, suggestions. Addressing the officers, the AGM advocated for the implementation of good governance and robust administrative practices. He stressed the need to focus on cleanliness, freight loading, safe train operations, and track maintenance. Further, MK Behera also advised officers to prioritise infrastructural development to meet the targets set by the railway board. He called for the preparation of comprehensive action plans to overcome challenges through effective planning and teamwork. He was accompanied by Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra, ADRMs Manoj Kumar Sahoo and E Santharam.
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
East Coast Railway Additional General Manager stresses on the importance of safety, security and enhanced passenger amenities
Mohes Kumar Behera, Additional General Manager (AGM) of East Coast Railway, conducted an inspection and participated in the Biennial General Body Meeting (BGM) of the All India Guards Council (AIGC) held at the Railway Institute here on Friday. He was accompanied by Lalit Bohra, Divisional Railway Manager. During his visit, Mr. Behera interacted with the staff, Train Managers (Guards) and officers. He emphasised the importance of safety, security and enhanced passenger amenities. He urged all the staff and officers to work diligently towards reducing passenger complaints by addressing issues promptly and efficiently. While interacting with the Train Managers, the AGM highlighted their critical roles and responsibilities, and encouraged open discussion regarding their grievances, suggestions, and any support required from the administration. He assured them of the administration's commitment to providing a conducive work environment. In his meeting with officers, the AGM advocated the implementation of good governance and robust administrative practices. He stressed the need to focus on cleanliness, freight loading, safe train operations, and track maintenance. He also advised officers to prioritise infrastructural development to meet the targets set by the Railway Board. He called for the preparation of comprehensive action plans to overcome challenges through effective planning and teamwork. ADRM Operations Manoj Kumar Sahoo, ADRM Infra E. Santharam and branch officers of various departments were present in the meeting held at the DRM office.
