Mumbai: Driver halts train in time, saves life of old man crossing tracks

A senior citizen crossing rail tracks at Kalyan station near here on Sunday was saved when the drivers of a Mumbai-Varanasi train applied emergency brakes in the nick of time after being alerted by a rail official, the Central Railway said.

The incident took place around 12.45 pm when the train started from platform no. 4 of the Kalyan railway station in neighbouring Thane district.

Hari Shankar (70), who was crossing the track at that time, fell and got stuck under the train, the Central Railway (CR) said in a release.

Chief Permanent Way Inspector (CPWI) Santosh Kumar then shouted to caution loco pilot S K Pradhan and assistant loco pilot Ravi Shankar G.

The two loco pilots immediately applied emergency brakes and pulled up the elderly man from under the train, the release said.

After the incident, the Central Railway issued an advisory asking people not to cross rail tracks, and warned that it could prove fatal.

 

The Central Railway's General Manager, Alok Kansal, announced a cash reward of Rs 2,000 cash each for the two loco pilots and CPWI for their timely act of saving the man's life, officials said.