New Delhi: A drunk operator’s mistake of putting his bag on the throttle led to the derailment of an EMU train that crashed onto a platform at Mathura Junction. A video revealed that the operator, who was identified as Sachin by railway officials, entered the engine cab after the loco pilot left his duty and left the cab. Sachin put his black backpack on the engine throttle, then sat down and got distracted by his mobile phone. The train started moving within a minute of him entering the cab, hit the dead end and half of it climbed onto the platform.


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One person was injured in the incident and five railway staffers, including a loco pilot and four technical staff, were suspended after an investigation. Speaking to news agency IANS, Mathura Railway Station Director Sanjeev Srivastava said that the five were drunk and were using their phones while on duty.


 



Divisional Railway Manager Tej Prakash Agrawal confirmed the suspensions and said that a “more detailed investigation is underway.” Sachin said in his statement in the joint investigation report that the train moved on its own. He said that he used the emergency brake but it was too late as the train had already reached the platform.


He found that the throttle was in the forward position and the key was also there. He quickly told his in-charge about the incident. Sachin accused the loco pilot of leaving the train functions in “switched on” position. However, the loco pilot in his statement said that he had given the key to Sachin before he entered the cab.