CHENNAI: While investigations into the September 13 train accident near Arakkonam have revealed that the motorman of the Electric Multiple Unit, Raj Kumar, was talking with a friend on his cellphone during the time of the mishap, some motormen say they used to get ‘official calls’ from their higher-ups on their cellphones even while on duty.Though using mobile phones on duty is banned for loco running staff, who according to the rule book, should switch off the phones and keep them in their bag, drivers are contacted by staff at the control room on their mobiles, a source said. If the control room had to get in touch with loco pilots and motormen, they are supposed to call the Station Master of the railway station closer to the moving train, who in turn would contact the driver through walkie-talkie. A senior official also confirmed that motormen must switch off their phones while operating trains.But, the source said that six months ago, a loco pilot of the Thoothukudi-bound Pearl City Express overshot the Maduranthakam station and stopped a few yards away from the platform, as he was attending a call from the control room. V Balachandran, Chennai divisional secretary of All India Loco Running Staff Association, said a representation on distractions caused by walkie-talkie was submitted to the Commissioner of Railway Safety, S K Mittal, who headed the probe into the Arakkonam rail mishap that left 11 persons dead.
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