At Diwana, back on graveyard shift

“I am the only new person in this group today. The rest of the group is same as last night,” says assistant station manager Suraj Pal introducing mukhya gaadi Babu Vinod Kumar, shunting master Mahavir, shuntman Nandkishore, pointsmen Badri Lal Meena and Vijay and waterman Dharm Singh. “Gateman Pawan Kumar is also back at Gate Number 47,” Pals adds with a smile.

The group, visibly fatigued after a tough day of running around after being on duty the whole night, cannot stop reminiscing about the events of the previous night.

“We had never thought we would be witness to such a tragedy someday. Those horrifying images will stay with us forever,” says Vinod Kumar. “This is such a small station. A handful of trains stop here and not many people disembark. It is sad that this place is in the news for the wrong reasons,” Pal says, tracking the movement of an approaching passenger train on an illuminated panel.

With the sound of the approaching train getting louder, Meena, armed with his signal torch, swings into action. As the train crosses the station at more than 100 km/hour, Meena flashes the green signal from his torch and gets philosophical.

“It is rare that I have to show the red signal. I did that last night and hope that I don’t have to do it often,” he says.

The train whizzes past Diwana leaving a cloud of dust. The six men, rarely together at the platform, get back to the control room. “Abhi duty khatam hone mein saat ghante aur hain,” Pal tells his mates.