Kolkata, Sep 22 (IANS): Eastern Railway (ER) has cracked down on the misuse of alarm chains in trains and informed that they have arrested 393 people for illegal Alarm Chain Pulling (ACP).

“Between August 1 and September 15, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of ER arrested 393 people for illegal Alarm Chain Pulling (ACP). A total fine of Rs 1,35,800 has also been realised from offenders. The total number of cases registered by RPF and ER was 454,” said Kausik Mitra, CPRO, ER.

He added that alarm chains are not installed inside train coaches for fun or to allow people to get on or off wherever they choose, adding that the alarm chains are key to passenger safety and are to be used only during emergencies to stop the train.

“Illegal ACP not only hampers punctuality but also endangers passengers by forcing trains to make unscheduled stops in busy sections. We have started this drive to send out a strong message that Indian Railways has zero tolerance towards such mischievous activities,” he said.

He added that unauthorised pulling of the alarm chain is a punishable offence under Section 141 of the Railway Act, adding that pulling the alarm chain without a valid reason is illegal and can result in a fine of up to Rs 1,000 and or imprisonment for up to one year.

ER has also identified trains in which there are a maximum number of illegal ACP cases. These include 13403 Ranchi–Bhagalpur Vananchal Express, 13071 Howrah–Jamalpur Express, 12510 Guwahati–SMVT Bengaluru Express, 13402 Danapur–Bhagalpur Intercity Express, and 13236 Danapur–Sahibganj Intercity Express.

“We have taken up this matter very seriously. ER urges all its passengers to cooperate and alert railway personnel if they spot any suspicious activity, such as illegal ACP. This is for their own convenience,” Mitra added.