Pune: Murlidhar Tiwari, a loco pilot in the Daund section, now remains extra cautious while operating trains. "I have been piloting trains for 12 years now. We follow all ‘caution orders' given to us in different sections, but the recent incidents of track sabotages are alarming.
Operating trains during the day is safer than night these days. I have been extra careful and alert of late. But we are under stress because loco pilots have the responsibility of safely transporting thousands of passengers on a train," he told TOI.
Recent sabotage attempts on railway tracks have shocked loco pilots. An alert driver of Nandigram Express on Tuesday spotted large cement slabs and rocks placed on railway tracks in the Karmad area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He slammed brakes on time and averted a mishap.
The cement blocks were spread over 100 metres on and around the railway tracks. Earlier, the loco pilot of Gujarat Mail spotted a six-metre iron telephone pole laid on tracks between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur City in Uttarakhand. Pune divisional railway manager (DRM) Indu Dubey told TOI, "All departments, including the loco operation staffers, have been advised to be extra careful during their duty and be observant towards any unusual activities or occurrences in the vicinity of railway tracks.
Regular counselling sessions are being organised to keep them informed." A loco pilot, requesting anonymity, said, "Far too many incidents are happening on tracks these days, posing a major .