Mumbai: Surge in Emergency Chain Pulling Disrupts Train Schedule; Central Railway Takes Action

Mumbai, 12th June 2023: The Central Railway has been grappling with a significant rise in incidents of emergency chain pulling, causing severe disruptions to train schedules. An emergency (alarm) chain pull facility is provided in suburban mail and express for urgency or in case of emergency. But surprisingly for the Central Railway, it has been found that many passengers pull the emergency chain for the most trivial reasons.

According to the report of the Central Railway, in May 2023 alone, there were 941 cases of emergency chain pulling on the Central Railway. Action was taken against 711 people and a fine of Rs. 2 lakh 71 thousand was collected from them.

Under Section 141 of the Indian Railways Act, pulling emergency chains for unnecessary or unreasonable reasons is a punishable offence. The railway administration has requested people to refrain from such activities as it disrupts the entire schedule of trains. “Though not only, but this is one of the important reason why railways are running late from their assigned time,” said a railway official.

After the Corona period, the number of railway passengers increased this year due to weddings and summer vacations. The Summer Special Express has been released by Central Railway to divide the rush of passengers. But at the same time, there was an increase in the occurrence of emergency chain pulling.

Emergency chain pulls in local, long-distance trains do not only affect the schedule of that particular train. So, the trains running behind that train are also affected. The Central Railway Administration has appealed to passengers to reach the terminus or station at least 30 minutes before the departure of their desired train.