Signal Maintainer Killed by Train in Madhya Pradesh Sparks Safety Concerns from Union

An assistant signal and telecom maintainer was tragically struck by the Rani Kamalapati Jan Shatabdi Express while performing routine track circuit maintenance near Obaidulla Ganj railway station in Bhopal. This incident has raised significant safety concerns among railway workers, particularly those in the signal and telecom sector.

According to railway officials, the accident occurred while an Electrical Signal Maintainer was inspecting the signal circuit system with two assistants. One of them, Akash Goswami, was hit by the fast-moving train. The West Central Railway Zone's Chief Public Relations Officer did not address the union's safety concerns.

Safety Concerns and Equipment Shortages

Naveen Kumar, National President of the Indian Railways S&T Maintainers Union (IRSTMU), criticised the railway administration for neglecting worker safety. He stated, "The Railway Administration has no concern for the safety of signal maintainers. The senior officials are very much aware of the S&T workers' plight. They know that we work on tracks in a live environment which is open to train movement all the time. Despite that, no safety protocol is being followed."

IRSTMU officials highlighted a shortage of walkie-talkies, which were once provided at major stations to alert workers about train movements. This shortage has persisted since 2020, affecting not only S&T workers but also train crews and station masters. Alok Chandra Prakash, General Secretary of IRSTMU, remarked on this issue: "Forget about S&T workers, the shortage of walkie-talkies is so acute that the Railways is unable to fulfil the requirements of train crew and station masters."

Staff Shortages and Risk Allowance

The union also pointed out staffing shortages as a major problem. There aren't enough personnel to act as assistants who can warn workers about approaching trains. Alok Chandra Prakash added that vacancies exacerbate these challenges: "We don't have enough people to send them as assistants who can work as call boys to alert the workers engrossed in their duties unaware of train movements."

In recent developments, Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar wrote to the Finance Ministry seeking new non-gazetted posts due to a rise in railway assets over five years. He noted a 269% increase in track circuits, 28% in signals, and 46% in automatic signalling.

Risk Allowance Proposal

The IRSTMU has long demanded risk and hardship allowances for its members working in hazardous conditions. Despite repeated requests, this demand remains unaddressed. Recently, they appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge the Ministry of Finance to approve this proposal.

Over 60,000 signal and telecom maintainers are employed by Indian Railways. Their primary responsibility is ensuring safe train operations through effective signalling systems management.