Railway employees want more masks and sanitisers on trains

HYDERABAD: Railway employees of freight trains in SCR have complained of lack of masks and sanitisers on trains.
“Officials and workers in signal and telecommunications, engineering departments and gatemen work on tracks and we deal with them on a daily basis. There is a significant shortage of masks, gloves and hand sanitisers,” an employee told TOI.
Track machine employees have also urged the authorities to stop their work as they were being asked to work in groups with nary a care for social distancing.Locomotive pilots have also demanded the sanitization of freight train cabins.
Locomotive pilots also highlighted the shortage of sanitisers. “The locomotives, of which we take charge at various crew changing points, need to be sanitised,” an assistant locomotive pilot of a goods train said.
Meanwhile, to negate any possibility of contracting infections, the mandatory breathalyser has been done away with for crew operating freight trains, an SCR official release said. “To implement the measure and ensure no compromise on safety, locomotive inspectors have been deputed to keep a stringent check. Likewise, manual signing of attendance registers in lieu of biometric verification has also been arranged,” said chief public relations officer of SCR, Ch Rakesh.
“The breathalyser is next to the Crew Management System (CMS) machine in the same kiosk in most places. Both the machines get used multiple times in an hour. We have taken steps to avoid any spread of infection through them,” he added. In a letter dated March 27, the Railway Board stated that crew members with history of alcoholism will not be allowed the relaxation. They will be required to provide a declaration stating they are not under influence of alcohol.