The order said that the blood tests following the breathalyser tests did not show any signs of alcohol but the directive aims to prevent false positives in breathalyser tests.
Published Feb 20, 2025 | 12:08 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 20, 2025 | 5:49 PM
Train (Wikimedia)
Synopsis: Thiruvananthapuram division issued a directive banning loco pilots from the consumption of certain products before duty after alcohol was detected in breathalyser tests. The order said the directive aims to prevent false positives in breathalyser tests. The directives sparked protests since the authorities imposed dietary restrictions instead of replacing the equipment.
The Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (DEE) of Southern Railway’s Thiruvananthapuram division issued a directive on 18 February banning loco pilots from the consumption of certain products before duty after alcohol was detected in breathalyser tests conducted on some cabin crew members.
The banned items included tender coconut water, homoeopathic medicines, certain bananas, cough syrups, soft drinks, and mouthwashes. The order said that the blood tests following the breathalyser tests did not show any signs of alcohol but the directive aims to prevent false positives in breathalyser tests.
However, the directives sparked protests since the authorities imposed dietary restrictions instead of replacing the equipment.
According to the order, loco pilots must henceforth inform the crew controller in writing if they consume any restricted items and get prior approval for alcohol-containing medication from the Railway Medical Officer.
The All India Loco Running Staff Association condemned the directive as unreasonable and demanded its withdrawal, urging higher authorities to address the issue of inaccurate breathalyser results rather than imposing unnecessary restrictions.
MM Roly, a retired loco pilot and Vice President of All India Retired Loco Pilots Association Central Zone, told South First that the directive was ridiculous.
“We don’t know why the Thiruvananthapuram Division formed such guidelines. In Southern Railway, even some medicines are banned for loco pilots, saying it may lead to sleep. But most of the medicines are for hypertension,” Roly said.
“So, either the railway shouldn’t recruit people with high BP (blood pressure) for such posts, or allow them to take medications. The correction should be made in breathalysers not to drink even tender coconut is unacceptable. In coming days, more protests can be expected,” he added.
On 3 February, the Office of the Medical Director Railway Hospital in Chennai released a comprehensive list of medications that should not be administered to running staff due to their sedative effects that could impair their cognitive and motor functions.
The list included tranquillisers and sedatives, opiates, antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedating antihistamines, barbiturates, any medical preparation (commonly cough syrups) containing ethanol, antiepileptic drugs, some muscle relaxants, some analgesics, antiemetics and centrally acting antihypertensives. The list, however, did not mention any dietary restrictions, unlike the order imposed by the Thiruvananthapuram division.
Further, on 5 February, the Southern Railway approved the list and directed the Railway Board to organise awareness programmes among the running staff.
However, even after specifying that breathalyser tests produced false positives, the Thiruvananthapuram division’s order did not mention replacing the faulty machines but warned crew members of action against positive breathalyser test results.
“Detection of Alcohol in BA test without unavoidable reasons will be treated as a wilful attempt made by the Crew to disturb the Train traffic, and appropriate DAR action will be initiated against them,” the order said.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman.)
