All of you must have traveled on the train and also know that in an emergency you can pull the chain of the train to stop the train. Because the guard and loco pilot rooms are located at the ends of the train, passengers are unlikely to rush to those rooms for assistance during an emergency. That is why the Indian railway provides emergency chains (alarms) on each coach. After pulling the chain of the train the moving train will standstill. You all must know that what is the emergency key in the train and what happens with it. But today we are going to tell you about some interesting facts related to emergency chains on trains.
When someone pulls the chain, how does the train come to a halt?
The emergency chains on the trains are connected to the main brake pipe of a train. The brake pipe helps the train run smoothly by maintaining steady air pressure. After pulling the emergency chain, the air stored in the brake pipe escapes through a small vent. And due to low air pressure train speed gets slow. Then the loco pilot notices the loss in air pressure immediately and begins maneuvering the train.
The trains run on rails which are too narrow due to which train can not be standstill suddenly. Stopping the train suddenly can cause disbalance.
If the train is running at the speed of 110 km/hr can take 3 to 4 minutes to stop completely.
How many chains are available on trains:
Earlier there used to be one chain on every wall of train coaches but people used to misuse them. So, the Indian railway has cut down the number of chains on trains. Now Indian railway has only one chain on the middle portion of every coach.
Is it possible for the loco pilot to override the train’s emergency braking system?
Yes, the loco pilot can override the emergency braking system train if they want to. There was a time when loco pilots were instructed to override the train’s braking system if the chain is pulled near crime-prone areas. But now rules have changed. Now if the loco pilot overrides the braking system then the person will have to give clarification to higher authorities.
Is there any punishment for misusing the emergency chains on the train?
Yes, the Indian railway takes strict action against those people who misuse the emergency chains on trains. under Section 141 of the Indian Railways Act. pulling the emergency chain for no valid reason is punishable. According to Section 141 of the Railways Act, if a passenger interferes with the communication between the railway personnel in charge of the train and the passengers for no good reason, the passenger would be punished.
If the person is proved guilty of misusing the emergency chain of the train they can be punished with one-year imprisonment or a fine of 1000 RS.
If a person is proven guilty, the minimum punishment fine must be INR 500 (for the first offence) or three months in prison (for the second or subsequent offence).
How does the RPF know about who pulled the chain?
The RPF personnel arrives quickly after the emergency chain is pulled. Now you must be wondering how they know that from which coach the chain has been pulled. The train coaches are equipped with emergency flashers on the side walls. The flashers get activated as soon as the chain is pulled. A light on the locomotive pilot’s controls begins to blink and buzz until the Guard, Assistant Driver, and RPF staff arrive at the place of the chain pulling and reset the chain manually. After the chain is reset, the air pressure gradually returns to normal then the train is ready to go.
Now you must be thinking how does RPF know who pulled the chain. No, they don’t know who pulled the chain. But they inquiry the passenger of the coach from where the chain was pulled to identify the chain puller.
In what condition the passengers are allowed to pull the chain?
The emergency chain pulling system is built to help out the passengers in case of an emergency. Here are some circumstances under which passengers are allowed to pull the chain:
- A passenger has dropped from moving train.
- The family member of the passenger has left behind at the station.
- There is a fire on train.
- boarding with an elderly or physically disabled passenger at a station with insufficient halt time.
- Passenger has medical emergency.
Other emergency situations can only be considered valid reasons for chain pulling after being examined by the appropriate railway authorities.
Does pulling the emergency chain can cause any damage to the train?
Yes, there is a high chance of train derailment, if the train is running at the highest speed but if the train is in slow motion then there will be no damage to the train. The train’s unexpected halt (due to chain pulling) might set off a chain reaction. It not only delays the train you’re on, but it also delays the trains coming up behind you on the same track.