The idea of having motormen on both sides of a local train has again cropped up on Western Railway. This also means that the first responders during any unwarranted incident involving a local train --- the Guards, are at the risk of losing the post. Earlier last month on May 21, the Principal Chief Safety Officer sent a ‘Note’ on holding a trial for having Motorman on both sides in EMU services in place of Guard in Mumbai suburban section. This, however, has unsettled the railway system and has started an inter-department face-off; one supporting this and the other against this change.
This proposal was also discussed in the Railway Board almost 4 years ago. The proposal is expected to reduce reversal time from 8 minutes to 2 minutes, increase the turnaround time of rakes from terminating stations, restart trains within 2 minutes, etc. This recommendation has been made by a High Power Committee that was nominated in December 2019. The primary reason was to address the issues of Signal Passing At Danger and overshooting of the platform by trains.
The Committee suggested that Guard in the rear cab of suburban trains may be replaced by motorman to enable faster turnaround at the terminals and to give relief to motorman after each trip. A pilot project on the same was also stated on the Western Railway which was also conveyed to the Railway Board.
The ‘Note’ states that ‘reduction in reversal time from average 8 minutes to 2 minutes and therefore increase in utilization of EMU rakes. At around 670 places/times rake reversal takes place and the reduction of reversal time by one minute will increase the availability of rakes by about 11 hours for passenger services on each day’.
Sources said that these reversals happen at Churchgate, Dadar, Bandra, Andheri, Borivali, Bhayandar, Vasai and Virar. “The new system, a train can be restarted in reverse direction within 2 minutes and the platform occupancy time will be reduced to that extent,” said a WR official on condition of anonymity. The Note also mentions that there will be financial savings of more than Rs 2 crore per annum.
There were certain points also raised in favour of Guards wherein the Note mentioned about potential hazard during accident or mishappening. In case of mid-section failure or in SPAD cases also, rear motorman may hide the cause of failure and sometimes he may back the train in mid-section, which may lead to more severe consequences. However this point was countered by stating that these issues are handled to a large extent by technology. Almost all SPAD cases are detected by people sitting in station cabins and by controller sitting in TMS, rather than by guard.
Currently, motorman drives a train while a guard is at the rear end. The motormen claim that this move will definitely help in efficient utilisation of staff and with proper training they can also handle role played by the Guards. There are nearly 1400 Guards in both the Central and Western railways together. One sees the Guards – who stand inside the motor cab – at the end of a train hanging by the door. But their role is much more than that.
“This is an unwarranted move. There is no need for removing an entire cadre and replacing them. The basis of making these changes is absurd. Guard plays an important role as far as passenger safety is concerned,” said another WR official.
The Guard checks if commuters have boarded and alighted the train, note down the timing of trains that arrives at the station, provide first aid to commuters injured in case train halts in-between, blast detonators and flares in case a train is stranded or meets with an accident in the middle of nowhere so as to inform authorities.
Meanwhile the railway unions of Western Railway Employees Union and Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh has opposed this move of ending the Guard cadre.
