Permitted! Motormen on western railway can stop trains during emergencies

Rattled by the rising number of accidents on the suburban railways, the Western Railway (WR) is considering a complete overhaul of its passenger safety guidelines. 

The WR officials said that during emergencies, the motorman will be instructed to stop the train at the next station even if it is not a scheduled halt. A system will also be put in place, wherein the motorman can be made aware of the nature of emergency, which will help him take a call whether to stop the train between stations itself. 

As per the rules, the motormen on the entire suburban network are instructed not to stop between stations or at unscheduled stops when the emergency chain is pulled, unless the train is on fire, or there is a problem with the train's wheels.

The safety manual says that every time an alarm chain is pulled, the motorman should reduce the train's speed to 20 kmph, and proceed to the scheduled halt after checking for the abovementioned emergencies.