Interview with an Indian railway Train driver

Social Scientist
Aug 24, 2017 · 4 min read

Indian railways is in the news again and here I am as always encountering the dangerous ;-) mission again B-).


I have always wondered the stress and strain the engine drivers must be going through when they ride the long trains . Always have pictured them smoking bidis(because of the tension) when controlling the age old heavy iron machines on the long laid tracks with more than 500 people on board. But I was in for a suprise …

The universe conspired and I met Vikram Ravi Babu and I was thrilled to meet a engine driver. It was like I was meeting a F1 driver . He must have had all thrills of a 400kms/hr F1driver would have had on different circuits. The tunnels, bends, connecting tracks, curves, small bridges, huge iron bridges across broad rivers, chain pullings, western ghats , eastern ghats, north, south, central ,western railways, deserted platforms, Junction stations, festive crowds, different passengers, suited TTRs etc etc .

A train driver since 1995. He had trained from Tirrichupali train shed and trainings of 5-6 months and he became a goods train driver than moved to passenger trains and now a full fledged master blaster Superfast and express train driver .

I got up on my seat and started my ‘Bakar’, the interrogation, the friendly political jokes and then my curious questions as I wanted to know what type of men are these train drivers(Social Scientist swag)

So I asked him the working hours and he said ten fucking hours, sometimes 12 hours and he sternly said “concentration is required”. He is assisted by a assistant who can stop the train but can't drive the train. And he had been driving train on Ratnagiri to Madgaon route or to Mangalore. The 50-year-old hailing from Vishakhapatnam, has been in these profession for over 20 years now. Based out of Madgoan, and having lived in the one room kitchen Railway quarters for many years, he has now brought a 2bk flat and that's where the story gets interesting and more thrilling (just bluffing to get attention )

The Telugu man has a daughter and a son alongwith his lovely wife (authenticated by the photos shown)

{M.S. I have all the time in the world when a good conversation happens ,without network coverage on my a phone and so the detailing !!!!}

And and of course the centre of their universe, their proton of their nucleus , their Kashmir of their India, their Masala papad of a Gujju feast, their pet Boo ( pet name) , full name Peekaboo.

#TrueStory

It is a cross between Rotveiler and German shepherd and they got it from his son’s friend,who is studying medicine and has lots of dogs and they do cross breeding.(contact for one)

Now is the interesting part, they have a Muslim neighbour who doesn't like the dog in the society . The 25 household resident area is taken care by the muslin guy (Secretary types since many years) . He threatened my friend (FB added as per his request) to let go off the dog if they wanted to stay in the area. The muslim guy works in the electricity department threatened Mr.Driver that if he doesn't do so , he will ruin his career and all. Out of love for the dog and frustration , our hero approaches Goa Animal Welfare Association and explains the whole story. GAWA people come and communicate with the villain about GOI's resolution that anybody keep an animal in their home. But MR.Khureshi (original name not known) remains adamant and tells them to FO.

Fillers in between for emotional connection :Ravi Babu in between also explained to me about how nice is the poor dog soul, which doesn't even bark at anyone(expect the chipukali) and how it always follows his wife around the house. Also showed me with action and position ot how it always sleeps near their feet on their bed. Further he asked me my name and emphasized on how Christians love dogs and the Goan people are good and they have no problem with animals, whereas Muslims don't like them.

Henceforth, to protect their child-like dog, he went ahead and complained to the police about the threatening at the madgao police station , GAWA also giving a statement .

The musilm guy was repraimanded by the police. However he went ahead and wrote a letter to the railway authorities of how Ravi Babu had mental problems and has been a nuisance to the society and that he should not be allowed to drive a train, alongwith signatures of the society people.

The railway authorities called my friend and then he narrated the whole story and told about the problems . Now he is on his way to pick a new train from Mangalore with three other fellow drives after having come back from work yesterday 4.30 a.m.

Then we moved on to current topics of train derailment and he said the mistakes are generally by tracks or the people incharge of informing the driver about work been done or other external. He said human beings makes mistakes and so there will be accidents . Thankfully for me he said the drivers wife and kid are in my coach and I felt a bit safe.

Scared of aeroplanes as in trains atleast bodies are recovered and in planes not even ashes.

Publishing from a running train. Please update me about the grammar and typos.

Will write more on the following :

Nabbi dikhata Soundarya . She gottt very good name , didn't expose much . Bajpayee govern ment . Kabhi kabhi chest dikha detaa but Nazar nai jaata , top heroine

Driver speed 120kms per hour , bolta bhagvan bharose chalta .. it should be not run fast ..

Sudden break cause the impact and the accidents

)
Social Scientist

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am a travelling soul of THE universe who is passing by|TEST Cricketmaniac,ManUTD Blood Corpuscles|Astronaut ||studying Rural Management, Hyderabad

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