Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway (ECoR) has urged passengers not to carry inflammable or explosive objects while travelling on trains.
Carrying of inflammable and explosive objects like crackers, gas cylinders, acid, petrol and kerosene in trains during journey is a punishable offence under the Railways Act, 1989 and the offender may get an imprisonment up to three years.
As Diwali is approaching, ECoR has geared up its machinery to check carrying of explosive and inflammable items in train.
It advised all its three Divisions – Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Waltair to launch a special safety drive to keep a strict vigil on carrying inflammable items in trains for the safety of passengers during Diwali celebrations.
The co-passengers are requested to inform on-duty Railway staff like Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel, TTEs, coach attendants, guards of the train, station managers, if they see any passenger carrying explosive items, to save the train passengers from danger.
ECoR said passengers can call Help Line Number 182 to report any incident concerning carrying crackers on train.
Steps have been taken by the Security Department of ECoR to make the train passengers and rail users aware of the dangers of carrying crackers and explosive substances. Surprise checks are being carried out randomly.
Apart from this, ECoR has also taken awareness drive to alert passengers through public announcement system at the railway stations.
Random checks will also be undertaken in coordination with GRP, RPF Civil Defence Volunteers and special attention will be given to check parcels or luggage loading in Parcel Vans.
Adequate fire extinguishers will be provided at stations, goods shed, guard’s brake vans, AC coaches, pantry cars and locomotives. It will also be ensured that the passage at the doors of the coaches will be kept free for free movement of the passengers, ECoR sources here said.
