Samastipur: A passenger train had an unusually long halt at a station in Bihar.
There was no technical fault with the engine, neither was there any problem with the signal system.
The delay was actually caused by the assistant motorman, who went out for a drink! That, too, in a state where alcohol consumption is totally prohibited.
It so happened that the passenger train, travelling from Samastipur to Saharsa, stopped at the Hasanpur station to let the Rajdhani Express pass.
Karanvir Yadav, the assistant loco pilot (ALP) of the train, took the opportunity to step out of the engine and go in search of liquor.
Rajdhani passed by, the minutes ticked by but the passenger train didn’t move even when the green signal was on. The Assistant Station Master inquired with the motorman what was wrong as the angry passengers gave vent to their irritation.
The station master had to call Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel to look for the ALP. He was found in an inebriated state near the local market and arrested immediately by GRP.
The train finally moved out of the station after more than an hour.
Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Alok Agarwal has ordered an inquiry into the matter.
