Alert suburban driver saves the lives of passengers
Posted on: 21/Sep/2013 2:03:22 PM
There were 500 passengers in an EMU train which originated from Madras Moore Market Complex. The train was heading towards Pattabiram Military Siding. At Pattabiram station, most of the passengers disembarked. Around 50 passengers were left, and the train then headed towards the Military Sidings station. As the train was nearing Pattabiram Military Siding station, the driver, Kuralarasan spotted a snapped live 25 KV electrical cable hanging.
Kuralarasan immediately braked and the train stopped a metre away from the wire. The driver then lowered the pantograph – a device mounted on the roof of an electric train to collect power through contact with an overhead power cable. All the passengers were asked to disembark. If the wire had come into contact with the metal body of the train, the passengers inside could have been electrocuted.
Railway officials appreciated the driver’s presence of mind.
