Alert motorman saves commuter injured after falling off train

An alert motorman rescued a 21- year-old commuter lying injured by the side of a railway track after falling off a train in Thane district of Maharashtra, a railway official said on Sunday.

The victim, Pankaj Rai, was undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital in Mumbai where his condition was reported to be out of danger, he said.

The mishap took place on Saturday when Rai was on way to his home in Thane's Ambernath town, located around 48 km from here.

He boarded the train at Kalyan station and was standing on the edge of its foot-board when he lost his balance and fell between Ulhasnagar and Ambernath stations, a railway official said.

Some people noticed Rai lying near the track and gathered there to help him.

At that time, Pravin Katiyar, the motorman of another suburban train which was going from Dadar (in Mumbai) to Ambernath, spotted Rai lying near the track and immediately applied brakes to stop the train.

He then alerted the train guard and with the help of some commuters, carried Rai to a coach of the train.

Katiyar also alerted the Ambernath station master about the incident.

When the train reached Ambernath, the station master with the help of the railway police and a few hawkers took Rai to Central Hospital at Ulhasnagar from where he was later shifted to J J Hospital in Mumbai.

Central Railway's Senior Public Relations Officer A K Jain said, "Our staff took Rai to hospital and later informed his family members. The alertness of motorman Katiyar saved Rai's life.