On Saturday morning, train departures from Kozhikode Railway Station were delayed due to a lack of line boxes for loco pilots and guards. This resulted in delays of over half an hour for trains including the Lokmanya Tilak-Thiruvananthapuram Netravati Express (16345) and the Kochuveli-Nizamuddin (22653). The delay was caused...
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by contract workers (box boys) refusing to work due to the non-payment of wages for two months by the company they work for. The workers are responsible for carrying line boxes, which contain essential items such as red and green flags, detonators, torches, medical kits, and whistles, for the loco pilots and guards. The situation was resolved when railway officials intervened and the workers resumed work. Similar issues have also been reported in Kannur, where contract workers have not been paid for two months. The article mentions that there are efforts to replace line boxes with trolley bags, but they have been met with resistance from unions. Loco pilots are calling for a locker system with a key handover process, which would require the implementation of a permanent system. The contract for loading and unloading the line boxes is held by private agencies.