Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Sep 22: Relating to an incident in which a passenger train bound for Puttur was diverted to the railway line leading to Suratkal due to a signal fault on the evening of Tuesday September 20, on-duty railway station master, Rajgopal, has been suspended by the department of railways. The department has also initiated departmental inquiry relating to the incident.
When the said passenger train reached Kankanady railway station, a good train that had come to the station from the direction of Suratkal was ready to move towards Hassan. As per the directions received from Palakkad divisional office of railways, the goods train was given green signal ahead of the passenger train. This was protested by several passengers of Puttur train, who got down and raised a hue and cry.
It is gathered that the on-duty station master, who was alarmed at this development, gave a wrong signal, as a result of which the passenger train moved on the railway track leading to Suratkal. Because of this mistake, railway traffic on the line was blocked for over half an hour.
It is learnt that the departmental inquiry was ordered as per procedure, as the station master had committed a mistake, in spite of the fact that the error occurred because of mental tension.