A drunk man’s life was saved by a vigilant loco pilot on Sunday when he lay down on railway tracks as the Amrit Bharat Express approached Bhubaneswar station. Prompt action by railway staff and RPF personnel ensured the man was safely removed, with the train only delayed by six minutes. The man was later handed over to his wife.
Bhubaneswar: An alert loco pilot helped to save the life of a drunk man who suddenly lied down on the railway tracks when an express train was approaching the Bhubaneswar station on Sunday.At 9:39 am, the Rangapani-Nagarcoil Amrit Bharat Express (02603) was entering the station when 38-year-old P Appana Rao, a resident of Laxmisagar here, suddenly rushed and lied down on the tracks, forcing the loco pilot to apply the emergency brakes. The train came to a complete halt in the Bhubaneswar yard, a few hundred metres from the station.
“Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and the train escorting staff promptly reached the spot, took the person into custody, and shifted him to RPF post, Bhubaneswar. He was found to be under the influence of alcohol,” said a statement issued by East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Sunday.Initially, Rao did not move off the tracks, but RPF personnel, railway staff and others managed to take him into custody. Official sources said the train was moving slowly as it was entering the station for a halt.Due to the swift and professional response of railway staff, the train was detained for only six minutes (from 9:39 am to 9:45 am), resulting in minimal disruption to services and passengers, the statement added.Ashok Gochhayat, inspector in-charge of GRP, Bhubaneswar, said they enquired about Rao and called his family members to the police station. “We handed him over to his wife,” he added.The train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, and it was on its inaugural run.
