Fall in unwarranted alarm chain pulling a good sign

Alarm chain is only allowed to be pulled during emergencies. Pic/Satej Shinde

Alarm chain pulling cases on Central Railway (CR) trains have declined compared to last year. While 927 such cases were registered between April and September 2023, 823 cases were witnessed in the same period this year.

A CR spokesperson said an alarm chain pulling (ACP) option has been provided in suburban and mail/express trains for use during emergencies; it will alert the loco pilot (driver) and train manager (guard).

Unwarranted ACP ends up inconveniencing passengers, the spokesperson said, adding that the misuse of the alarm chain is a punishable offence.

The act of ACP not only affects the running of a particular train but also has a cascading effect on the ones following it, hampering the punctuality of mail/express and suburban trains, the spokesperson said.

Some of the reasons to pull the alarm chain include fires, health emergencies, criminal activities or accidents while boarding or alighting from the train.

There must be more awareness about alternatives like approaching railway staff in situations where immediate and urgent intervention is not needed.

More announcements must be made over the system at stations and in trains to warn passengers that pulling the alarm chain unnecessarily will attract a hefty fine. There is not as much awareness about this aspect as there is about the dangers of crossing the tracks, just to cite one example.

Our commuters, too, must be more empathetic to others, and how their actions may throw an entire train schedule out of gear. The fact that the chain pulling is declining is a positive factor. We must also see railway staff available so that commuters can approach them in case of a problem that needs to be resolved.