OPERATING DISCILPINE:
Line Staff to obey orders of control:

Station staff, Shed staff, Crew, and Guards etc must obey orders issued by the Control as long as these orders are consistent with the General and Subsidiary Rules, extant instructions and the instructions contained in this Manual.

Control order register:

Important instructions for control will first be recorded in a register maintained in the control office and serially numbered, commencing with number 1 after midnight each day.These will be issued as messages indicating the time of issue

All such orders received by the Station Masters or Running staff and Guards’ lobby from Control should be entered in the control order register by the staff. Each entry must be initialed with time.

At the end of each turn of duty the relieved, as well as the relieving Station Master or Crew Controller, must sign their name in full below the last entry in the register. On days when no orders are received from control, “Nil” entry must be recorded and signed as prescribed above. When a station Master or Crew Controller has received an order from the control and entered it in his register, he may repeat it to the control in order to satisfy himself and the control that he has understood it correctly.

  • No Terminal Station should start goods or unscheduled train or block the section without the permission of the Controller.
  • Every Station on the section must report the movement of every train- passenger, goods, special, departmental, light engines, TTMs, Tower Wagons, trolleys etc. to the controller.
  • When the control is in function, Line Clear must be asked from the station ahead of every train unless orders to stop it are given by the Controller.
  • The Controller’s permission must be obtained before stopping a train that should run through except to avert an accident or dangerous condition.
  • No station should allow a train, which has been stopped out, of course, to proceed, without first informing the controller that the train has been so stopped and receiving his further orders.
  • Station Master must advise the controller of any unauthorized or undue detention to trains at their stations with the full explanation.

Whenever a train, either passenger or goods is detained at a station for longer than the booked halt without the orders of the Controller, on its departure, the Station Master must immediately inform the brief cause of the detention to the Controller.

Whenever any damaged wagon is detached out of course at a station, the Station Master on duty should inform the Controller.Station Master must promptly advise the Controller of any defects of signals, points, interlocking apparatus and line clear instruments at their stations. Information should also be given of any defects in any other station machinery such as cranes, wagon weighbridges, turntables, water columns, hydrants etc.

  • Starting stations to report particulars of outgoing train
  • As soon as a train leaves a train starting station, the Station Master must intimate the following particulars to the control office: Number and description of train, Engine number and class, Loco pilot’s name, Guard’s name, load of the train (in tonnes and vehicles) particulars of shunting to be done on the journey, time of departure, brief reasons of late start, time of S/O of crew fuel balance etc.
Intermediate stations to report arrival and departure time of trains:

Station Master of the intermediate station must communicate to the Control as early as possible, the following information in regard to every train dealt with:

  • In case the train has run through, the time it passed the station.
  • If it is a stopping train, the time or arrival and departure along with the explanation for every detention beyond the scheduled stoppage.
  • If any shunting has been performed, the number of vehicles attached and detached.
  • If any extra time has been taken in loading and unloading of packages, the number of such packages and name of the loading station.
Terminating stations to report the particulars of incoming trains:

Station Masters of the terminal and engine changing station must, as soon as possible, after the arrival of a train, communicate to the control the time of arrival and the load of the train, particulars of loco detached/attached.

Engine Movements to and from sheds to be reported:

Loco foreman must communicate to control the time at which train engine leave from or returns to the shed ‘Bahar line’.This in no way, relieves the Station Master of the responsibility for issuing necessary all concerned messages regarding engine failures and engine trouble enroute. The Controller shall record the duration of such defects in his chart, dairy, and registers.

Time to be checked for control:

Station Master, Crew Controller, and Lobbies must check their time with control at appointed hours every day when control gives a general ring for setting their watches/clocks at 16:00 hrs. Staff must obtain Station Master’s permission before speaking to Controller.

Mode of using the control phone :

The Control telephone is to be used for operational purposes. The field staff wanting to talk to control will give their identity and wait for their turn to communicate.As this network is intensively used, the conversation should be brief, meaningful and polite. Discussions, disputes, and arguments must be avoided.

Station Master and others must not start to speak to control unless they have ascertained by lifting the receiver and listening in, that the line is free. They must then announce the name of the station, shed, lobby or site from where they are speaking and wait for its being repeated by the controller before beginning the conversation.

When, however, an urgent message has to be conveyed and the line happens to be engaged, the station name must be called indicating Emergency. The Controller will immediately attend to the Station having an emergency. Station Masters must attend ‘Control Call’ promptly.

Co-ordination between Control and Stations:

Asking line clear:

In order to avoid the detention to passenger trains for crossing a less important train, line clear inquiry for the less important train must not be asked until the train is ready to leave and until the Section Controller’s permission has been obtained. The Station Master receiving the line clear inquiry must immediately ask the Controller’s permission to give line clear before giving the reply. The Station Master on duty is entirely responsible for seeing that the necessary General and Subsidiary rules and Station Working Rules are observed before giving Line Clear.

When a Station Master for any reason finds it difficult to carry out Controller’s arrangement to receive the train in yard/station due to yard/ station constraints, he must explain his reasons clearly and fully to the Controller.

Work at stations:

The permission of the Controller must be obtained before the performance of any shunting; Controller must be informed of the likely duration of shunting to enable him to arrange crossing and precedence of trains. In the event of Station Master being unable to start a train on receipt of line clear, he must at once report the circumstances to the Controller.Control order regarding crossings etc

The Section Controller will give definite instruction for crossing or precedence and will not change them except under unavoidable circumstance because the last-minute change of order will result in confusion and unsafe operation. The Station Master is entirely responsible for seeing that the crossing is affected safely and strictly in accordance with the rules. The Controller must see that sufficient time is available for the necessary operations to be carried out. If the Controller fails to do so, the Station Master should represent that delay may occur, but it does not allow him to disregard any rules in order to avoid such delay.

General Order of Precedence of Trains:

Unless specific orders to the contrary are issued by the COM or by those acting on his behalf, the following general orders of precedence shall be observed by control and stations.

  • ARME, ART proceeding to the site of the accident.
  • President’s and VVIP’s specials (Unless otherwise specified in the Time Table).
  • Suburban train in peak rush direction.
  • Super fast trains like Shatabdi, Rajdhani etc.
  • Mail / Express trains.
  • Military personnel special, if instructed by emergency control/DOM.
  • Fast Passenger train
  • Special engaged by the public.
  • Passenger trains
  • Precedence order may be revised
  • Mixed trains.
  • Military stores special.
  • Express or special goods train.
  • Through goods train.
  • Accident relief train returning from the site of the accident (unless otherwise ordered).
  • Shunting and van goods train.
  • Departmental trains.
Note:

The following general principles are mentioned for the guidance of Controllers but it must be distinctly understood that nothing in these instructions modifies the safety precautions laid down in the rules (General and Subsidiary Rules, Station Working Rules etc.

A Passenger train nearing the end of its run should not normally be detained in preference to a train which has a long run before it, as the latter train is more likely to make up time and reach its destination punctually than the former.A train running to time should not be detained more than 30 minutes to effect crossing on the single line. (This should be decided by the Division based on actual condition.

A train running late due to the defective engine, or defect in rolling stock or any other cause which is likely to continue to operate against it and prevent it from making up time should generally give way to a train running properly.