Suburban train driver loses bag containing keys

Suburban train driver loses bag containing keys

What suburban train drivers
have been dreading ever since the railways entrusted the four keys' needed to operate a suburban train has
come true. Unidentified persons allegedly stole a bag containing the four keys' from a driver while he was travelling for work from Avadi to Chennai on Tuesday.

According to police Jeevananandam was travelling in an Arakonam-Chennai suburban train to join duty at the Central station. When he reached Chennai Central, he realised that the bag containing the keys was missing. He informed railway authorities.

A couple of days after the Vysarpadi accident on April 29, Southern Railway had given its drivers the keys' - levers that are inserted into different systems to operate a suburban train. When the decision was mooted, motormen had raised concern about the safety aspect since the keys could be used to operate any train.

Reacting to Tuesday's incident, Southern Railway chief public relations officer Neenu Ittyerah said: "Misuse of keys is ruled out because motorcabs are not left unguarded after the Vysarpadi accident. There will be people monitoring cabs when drivers change duty. But the keys' are personal equipment and the loss will be reported to the police."