Mumbai: Central Railway suburban services were briefly disrupted on Wednesday evening after several Train Managers (Guards) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) adopted a “work to rule” protest against a newly issued safety circular linked to the recent Bhandup platform overshoot incident. Railway officials confirmed that three local train services were cancelled due to the disruption.
Circular revises bell code communication between Train Managers & Motormen
The protest is against Safety Circular No. 15, issued by the Principal Chief Operations Manager of Central Railway, which revises the bell code communication procedure between Train Managers and Motormen/Loco Pilots. Under the updated rules, Bell Code “0” will now cover multiple operational situations, including emergency stop conditions, approaching scheduled halt stations and acknowledgement during TSR 122 working.
A new provision also directs Train Managers to give one bell beat before arrival at a station to alert the Motorman that the train must stop at the next platform. If the train approaches the station at a higher speed and the Motorman fails to respond properly, the Train Manager has been instructed to apply brakes to avoid platform overshooting.
Railway sources said the circular was introduced after a Kalyan-bound AC local overshot the platform at Bhandup station by two coaches on March 17.
According to sources, the protest was held between 5.15 pm and 5.45 pm on Tuesday. Union representatives reportedly said the agitation has been suspended till the May 18 meeting with railway authorities. They warned that if the revised rules are not reconsidered, the protest could resume. Railway officials maintained that the changes are aimed at strengthening operational safety and preventing future overshooting incidents.
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