A railway gateman, Shiv Kumar, has been suspended after he was allegedly found asleep while on duty at Mokama station under the Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR). The incident triggered disruption in train movement and raised serious safety concerns.
Incident Details
The incident took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. According to railway sources, at least three trains remained stranded for nearly 10 minutes due to non-clearance of signals at the west railway crossing gate under Mokama station. The affected trains included the Howrah-Patna Jan Shatabdi Express, South Bihar Express, and Jhajha-Patna MEMU passenger train.
Response from Railway Officials
Danapur senior divisional commercial manager Abhinav Siddarth said the railway administration had taken the matter seriously and ordered an inquiry. After receipt of the inquiry report, a chargesheet under the railway admissible rules will be issued to him for such serious lapses.
Sources said the Danapur railway control room repeatedly tried to contact the gateman after train movement was affected but received no response. Following this, a railway staff member was sent from Mokama station to inspect the crossing gate. On reaching the spot, the staff member allegedly found the gateman asleep during duty hours. Railway personnel later restored signal clearance and reopened the locked gate, easing both train disruption and traffic congestion on either side of the crossing.
Safety Concerns
The incident has raised serious concerns about railway safety protocols. The gateman's negligence could have led to a major accident. The railway administration has assured strict action against the erring employee.
