The innocuous looking one-rupee coin has created havoc for officials of the East Railway (ECR) zone, Hajipur. Criminals and miscreants are using the one rupee coin to stop the movement of goods and passenger trains thereby endangering the safety and security of trains.
The railway signal turns red, when a one-rupee coin is kept between the joining points of the tracks before the railway platforms or near the cabins. Using this trick, miscreants loot coal and other items from goods trains, while criminals have also been targeting passenger trains for robbery. And if that is not enough, even local people are using the trick to board the express train, which doesn’t stop in small stations.
Baffled by the development, the Chief Operating Manager (COM) of ECR RS Pandey has shot off a letter to the Divisional Security Commissioners (DSC) of all the five rail divisions of the zone Danapur, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Samastipur and Sonepur to take preventive measures. “Express trains are being stopped even at small stations to help the local passengers to board the train,” Pandey said. “The trains get delayed as the signal remains red till the coin is removed, forcing the train to remain stranded,” he said.
Senior Divisional Security Officer Sameer Kumar said that iron plates are joined during the time of making the point, which maintains circuit leading to change in the signal status. “Between the two points, an isolator is given. The fibre isolation changes the signal. By placing the coin on two parts of the joint, the electric circuit is maintained for the time being by the miscreants thus leading to a signal change. It’s a serious matter,” said Kumar.
{{/usCountry}}Senior Divisional Security Officer Sameer Kumar said that iron plates are joined during the time of making the point, which maintains circuit leading to change in the signal status. “Between the two points, an isolator is given. The fibre isolation changes the signal. By placing the coin on two parts of the joint, the electric circuit is maintained for the time being by the miscreants thus leading to a signal change. It’s a serious matter,” said Kumar.
{{/usCountry}}Email Anand Mishra: anand001_mishra@yahoo.com