Jamshedpur: Goods trains pulling out from the Adityapur Yard no longer require the services of railway guards.
An order to this effect has been issued by the Chakradharpur divisional railway office. The goods trains headed for Noamundi and Banspani will be run without guards on a trial basis. The assistant driver in these trains will have to submit the reports traditionally prepared by guards.
Sources said 20-30 goods trains regularly leave Adityapur Yard for Noamundi and Banspani. Guard wagons are being removed from goods trains and locomotives are instead being fitted in the trains. In Bilaspur and Sambalpur, goods trains are running sans guards.
Guards will be discharging their duties in the goods trains plying on the Tatanagar-Kharagpur route. The guards of Adityapur will be accommodated in other departments in future. After the successful trial of guard-less trains, the posts of guard will become redundant.
This has caused both panic and resentment in train drivers and guards. Subsequently, the guards and drivers have decided to gherao the Adityapur Yard and Chakradharpur divisional railway headquarters.
Two years ago, a similar order was withdrawn by the railways. Guard Council leaders said the Railway department should not come up with such unrealistic ideas instead of filling up safety category vacancies.
The general secretary of South Eastern Zone All India Loco Running Staff Association Paras Kumar said the department order was against certain provisions meant for safety.
He said the train drivers already dealt with several burdens on their heads.