Thousands of passengers suffered as four trains from Ernakulam were cancelled and several trains passing through got delayed for hours because of a flash strike by the All-India Loco Running Staff Association following a feud with authorities over the use of the breath analyser on Sunday.

The secretary of the association, who was to have piloted a passenger train, refused to undergo the breath analyser test to check if he was drunk taking the wheel. When authorities prevented him from piloting the train without undergoing the test, the association called a flash strike around 11.30 a.m.

The stalemate continued late into the evening, disrupting train schedules from Palakkad to Kollam. Four passenger trains cancelled their trips and the journey of a long-distance train to Thiruvananthapuram was terminated at Ernakulam.

The association contends that the active breath analyser used by the Railways is a health risk as it required 10 seconds of continuous blowing into the device, and is not protected from contamination of diseases. They have no objections with the passive breath analyser device used by the police.

The Railways had, following complaints that many loco pilots were drunk while piloting the trains, launched special checks. Last week, two loco pilots in the Thiruvananthapuram division were suspended from service for drinking while on duty.

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