(1) Under no circumstances and in what so ever manner, no railway servant shall cause fouling or obstruction of a running line without obtaining the prior permission of the Station Master on duty or of other railway servant nominated in this behalf under special instructions, who shall see that all necessary steps are taken for the protection of traffic while such operation is being carried out and the necessary signals are kept at ‘ON’ until the obstruction is removed.
(2) When it be necessary to detach a vehicle from a train and leave it standing on the running line Station Master on duty shall secure the vehicle as prescribed under rule 147 and take such additional precautions as may have been prescribed in Station Working Rules; he shall also place or use stop callers on relevant buttons of point and signals that leads to the obstructed line and advise the control to make arrangement to expeditious removal of the vehicle obstructing the running line. He shall also switch on the intermittent buzzer wherever provided on the panel to remind him of the obstruction. The controller shall ensure that no running line at any station under his jurisdiction remain obstructed for a long time for want of loco or other aids and assistances which the Station Master has asked for.
(3) A sand hump or snag dead end shall not be obstructed for any purpose and when it has become obstructed, it shall cease to be a substitute for the adequate distance for the purpose of taking ‘OFF’ signals.