Runaway loco driver blamed for negligence

Driver and Assistant of stray engine who said "We don't know ...."caught having run behind engine

According to the final report regarding the incident of the railway engine travelling from Maligawatta yard upto Ratmalana without a driver, the three-member committee had mentioned that the engine driver and his assistant are directly responsible for the incident.

According to scenes observed on the CCTV cameras fixed at Maradana and Fort railway stations, after the locomotive engine had begun to travel, the committee say that the fact that the shunting engine driver and bucketman were seen running behind the engine and the manner in which the engine thus travelled is observed clearly on the CCTV camera and they have not been able to stop the engine; but had given evidence that they were totally unaware of the incident concerned.


The committee report says that the reason for the said engine to travel along was that proper security precautions have not been carried out after starting the engine to shift it from the position where it was parked. As such, the locomotive engine which had travelled 15 kms along the coastal railway track without a driver on 5th December at about 12.25 in the night was a serious mistake on the part of the shunting driver, it has now been confirmed.

A verdict was conclusively arrived at that the other shunting drivers, their assistants (covers) and several other workers relevant to this mishap were responsible in this connection.

The committee further said that evidence of 45 individuals were obtained and those responsible in this connection would be subjected to punishment and an initial inquiry would be held in this connection.

Authorities of the committee further pointed out the following as faults related to this incident: proper procedures not being adopted in positioning and parking 686 engine on track No.6 of Jalashakthi yard, not adopting proper security procedures, failing to secure the support of the assistant driver when starting the engine to shift engine 686 from track No.6 under instructions of the yard foreman, leaving the engine and going away without adopting proper security precautions when the engine was in motion, keeping a key of S 11 type in possession without permission and starting the engine with that key, making false statements with the motive of leading the investigating board astray and leaving the place of duty without permission. 

The committee report further stated that scenes of the CCTV cameras fixed at Maradana and Fort specially were very helpful in the investigations and that several steps would be taken in future to put a stop to blunders of this nature in future.