COIMBATORE: Passengers of an Express train were stranded at the Pollachi railway station for over one-and- a-half hours after its loco pilot fell asleep and failed to report to duty.
As the train was halted for a long time, irate commuters of the Tiruchendur express protested at the junction seeking an explanation from officials for the inordinate delay.
The train started from Palakkad junction at 4.50 am on Monday and chugged into Pollachi junction by 6.15 am. Loco pilot Nagaraj, who was supposed to take the train, was ready for duty, but refused to operate as his assistant (co-loco pilot) Balamurugan did not turn up.
Passengers then alighted from the train and besieged the station master's room to know the delay for the train's departure. An inquiry then revealed that Balamurugan was fast asleep in the station's rest room.
Even when officials woke him up, Balamurugan refused to join duty claiming that his last shift ended only at 12 midnight. He argued against being asked to work without rest.
To avert an unseemly turn, the railway officials informed the police, who then arrived and pacified the passengers. Meanwhile, co loco-pilot Balamurugan also came back for duty. The train then started by around 7.40 am, after a delay of about 90 minutes.
