Eastern Railway disclosed the reasons for delays affecting 86 trains in May due to Alarm Chain Pulling incidents. The Asansol and Howrah divisions experienced the most significant impact, followed by Malda and Sealdah. Investigations by the Railway Protection Force found that passengers misused emergency chains for trivial reasons, treating trains as personal stop-on-demand services.
Passengers in Asansol and Malda pulled the chain just because the train passed near their villages, disregarding scheduled stops and safety. Some passengers in Asansol and Howrah missed their stations due to sleep and pulled the chain upon waking up. Instances of accidental pulling and misuse for heavy luggage or farewells were also reported in various divisions.
To address the issue, Eastern Railway took strict actions, registering criminal cases and arresting 58 individuals in May. Alarm Chain Pulling is regulated by the Railways Act, allowing its use only for genuine emergencies. Offenders can face imprisonment or fines as penalties. Railway officials emphasized the need to curb unauthorized pulling to maintain punctuality.
