BENGAL, India — An Indian express train driver abandoned his train halfway through his journey because he was tired and needed to sleep, according to the website Ananova.com.
The driver of the Howrah-Malda Janshatabdi Express left his train and 1,100 passengers at a station platform in Azimgunj.
S K Kundu told his senior managers he was so exhausted he felt there was a risk of an accident if he drove any further. Bengali newspaper Ananda Bazar Patrika says Mr Kundu had told staff at three earlier stations that he was tired and needed to be relieved by another driver.
He had been driving for 11 hours by the time he reached Azimgunj, and he disappeared after again being denied a substitute driver.
Divisional railway manager Swapan Chowdhury says the incident was unprecedented and an inquiry had been launched.
“If his explanation is not satisfying, he will be punished for this serious dereliction of duty,” he said.
According to railway rules, a driver should not have to drive a train for more than eight hours but engine problems and unscheduled halts had put the train four hours behind schedule.
Sujit Basu, a railway trade union leader in Calcutta, said: “If the authority decides to penalise Mr Kundu we shall start an agitation in support of him. He is not at fault.”
The train was stranded at Azimgunj for two hours until railway officials managed to find a goods train driver to complete the journey to Malda and it finally arrived seven hours late.