Railway Board yet to rule on low alcohol test norms after Bilaspur crash

The Railway Board is yet to decide whether a loco pilot is fit for duty when blood tests detect very low alcohol levels, a year after a fatal crash in Bilaspur raised the issue, Business Standard and The Economic Times reported. The Gevra-Bilaspur MEMU passenger train hit a stationary goods train on 4 November 2025, killing 12. A CRS report found the loco pilot had overshot a red signal and had previously failed an aptitude test.

Blood samples of crew showed ethanol between 3 and 10 mg/dL, though breathalyser tests were zero. The South East Central Railway's chief medical director said an empanelled lab could not accurately assess levels below 3 mg/dL, and that readings under 10 mg/dL were considered negative. Several zones, including Northern Railway, say their labs cannot detect alcohol below 10 mg/dL, while the Indian Railway Medical Manual requires zero blood alcohol.

The loco pilots' union, All India Loco Running Staff Association, argues that metabolic reasons can produce alcohol levels up to 10 mg/dL even without drinking. The CRS has recommended the Railway Board review Paragraph 565 of the manual. The Board's health directorate is examining the matter but has provided no update.