Rail Logistics : TRAIN SNEAKING OUT!

The entire world is at a shock when an unmanned train engine in Sri Lanka ‘escaped’ from its dock on December 5^th. By the time its absence was noticed and reported, the train engine at the speed of 5 km/h had travelled 12 km through the capital city of the country, Colombo. Inspired by Hollywood or the dramatic Bollywood movie scenes, one of the technicians jumps onto the ‘lonely voyager’ to intercept its journey. Fortunately, there were no accidents caused but nonetheless, the driver and the assistant were immediately suspended by the Sri Lankan Railways. The cause of the incident is said to be either the clutch of the locomotive was not switched off or someone had started the engine. A three member committee was appointed to probe the incident and a report was submitted to the Transport Minister, Kumara Welgama that the shunting driver and the assistant are at fault.

On the other hand, some reporters found a 1913 newspaper clipping about a ghost train mysteriously leaving the same station, on the same track 100 years earlier on the same day, at the same time. Is this a mere coincidence? Or is there a ghost train driver who waits for 100 years to drive a train? Or was the locomotive stolen by the descendent of the thief who stole the train in 1913? Whatever it may be, I hope we do not have to wait for another 100 years to prove the reason of the incident. Perhaps, the locomotive had a mind of its own to have a feel of how it would appear to be just like the driver-less light rail transits (LRT) in Kuala Lumpur. Maybe it is also an indication to Sri Lankan Railways to begin investing into driver-less LRT system.

Thank you.

 

Best regards,

Mahinder Singh Malhi