A preliminary investigation into the electric multiple unit (EMU) train mishap in Mathura on Thursday revealed that the railway staffer who boarded the engine was allegedly drunk at the time and was looking into his mobile phone.
He had placed his bag on the throttle, causing the throttle to shift, which made the train accelerate at a high speed, a joint report of the investigation said.
However, Sachin, the railway staff who entered the engine, blamed loco pilot Govind Hari Sharma, who left the train before him. Sachin alleged that the Govind kept the engine running, which is why the throttle was pushed forward and the train moved forward rapidly, when he kept his bag.
Sachin claimed that when he asked for the engine cabin key from loco pilot Govind, he told him that the key was in the cabin itself. “Even before the emergency brakes could be applied, the train broke the stopper and pillars and climbed onto the platform,” he said.
On Tuesday night, the train arrived at Mathura station at 10:49 pm, the probe report said. Within a minute of Sachin entering the cabin, it started moving, broke the dead end and half of its portion climbed onto the platform.
According to the report, it was Sachin who accidentally triggered the train throttle, causing it to accelerate and climb onto the platform. Sachin was an Electrical Transmission Line (ETL) employee and was allegedly drunk when he entered the engine cabin.
Notably, Divisional Railway Manager Tej Prakash Agrawal suspended five persons, including Sachin, in connection with the incident. Of the other four, Harbhajan Singh, Brajesh Kumar, and Kuljeet are technical staff and Govid Hari Sharma is a loco pilot.
The Crew Voice and Video Recording System (CVVRS) revealed that the ETL staff had boarded the EMU after it reached the platform. He was looking at a mobile phone when he entered the engine cabin, and then placed his bag on the throttle.
Agra Railway Division Manager TP Agarwal said that normally, after the arrival of the train, the keys of the engine cabin are given to the support staff already present there, which is why Sachin had the key.
Due to this incident, rail traffic at Mathura Junction was affected for about 16 hours.
