Two Central Railway (CR) employees from the Mumbai division are among the 10 felicitated with the ‘General Manager’s Safety Award’ by CR general manager Anil Kumar Lahoti. The prizes were handed out at an event at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Monday.
Two employees each from Nagpur, Pune, Solapur, and Bhusaval divisions were also honoured with the prestigious award in the railway circles. The awards were given in appreciation of their alertness during duty, their contribution in averting untoward incidents and ensuring safety in train operations. The award comprises a medal, commendation certificate, a citation of exemplary safety work and a cash award of Rs 2,000.
Among the awardees is Pramod Dene, working as head constable with the Railway Protection Force, who while on escort duty on Konark Express sensed a burning smell in the train around midnight on November 26 2021. On searching the origin of the smell, he found that the smoke was coming from the wheel of a coach next to the engine. He immediately stopped the train by pulling the alarm chain and assisted in dousing the fire, thus averting an untoward incident.
Dene joined CRs RPF team in 2000 as a constable, his first posting was in Solapur Division of CR. Later he transferred to the Nagpur Division of CR. In 2019 he posted at Thane RPF post of CRs Mumbai Division.
During his tenure at Nagpur he also averted a similar type of mishap. "I was in the escorting duty of Gorakhpur-Yashvantpur Express on 29th May 2018, it was around 9 am , train was running at around 80 kmp. Near Sonkhamb station of Nagpur district suddenly I heard unusual noise. After that imidialty pulled the alarm chain and stopped the train , During checking it found that a portion of a wheel of A-2 (air-conditioned) coach was broken" recalling the incidence, Dene told FPJ on Tuesday.
"After that at next station coach was detached and passengers were shifted in other coach and trains was safely departed for Yashvantpur " further added Dene. Later
He was awarded by Railway Divisional Railway Manager of Nagpur division of CR his alertness.
Also selected for the award is Samay Singh Meena, who works as fitter at Wadi Bunder, Mumbai, who while examining the undergear of Punjab Mail on January 20 this year detected that the top and bottom coils of secondary suspension had broken. Subsequently, the coach was marked sick and a possible accident was averted.
Meena Joined Central Railway as Khalasi in 2012 at Dader. Now he working as fitter garde - 1 in Wadi Bunder depot. His current role is checking, repairs and setting various metal parts and units of railway coaches and wagons to locate damage or worn out parts during primary maintenance of trains .
Recalling the incidence Meena told FPJ, " on December 26th 2021, while checking under gear parts of empty rake of Panjab mail noticed that suspension spring of a coach was broken, I imidialty informed my superior and make sure that coach was detached " According to Meena broken suspension spring could lead derailment of train.
