Lucky escape for man crossing Metro tracks

New Delhi: A 23-year-old man who was travelling in Delhi Metro for the first time had a narrow escape when he crossed the tracks while the train began leaving the station.

The alertness of the driver and his swiftness in applying the brakes at the right time saved the man’s life.

The bizarre incident happened at the Shastri Nagar Metro station on the Red Line on Tuesday morning. The nail-biting moment was captured in a CCTV camera and it went viral on Wednesday.

The man, identified as 21-year-old Mayur Patel, hopped across from one platform to the opposite one just as the train started moving.

In the video, Mayur Patel can be seen crossing the track to reach the other platform. He continues to walk, completely ignoring the train on a halt at the other platform where Patel apparently wanted to go.

Just as he was about to clamber on to the platform, the train began to move, bumping into Patel. The train immediately brakes, and the man regains his balance before falling between the train and the tracks.

The video shows him losing his balance and walking further away, probably to try getting onto the platform again. Luckily, the train stopped on time and he didn’t suffer any injuries.

Delhi Metro authorities have questioned Mayur about his dangerous and bizarre act.

During questioning Mayur claimed he did not know how to cross over to the other platform, so he jumped on to the track and hopped across.

People on social media praised the Metro driver for his swift action, which saved Mayur, while others said why couldn’t he ask around before engaging in such a crazy act.

Meanwhile, the DMRC has imposed a fine of Rs 150 on him, reports said.

Walking on Metro tracks without permission from relevant authorities is illegal. It can attract a jail term of up to six months or a fine of `500 or both.

After a drop in the average number of passengers last October, Delhi Metro has seen a steady rise, with nearly 27 lakh commuters taking the rapid transit network daily.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said between the opening of a corridor of the Magenta Line in December and a section of the Pink Line in March, the number of passengers travelling has seen an upward trend.

The total number of interchange stations has now grown to 16 and the operational span of the network has expanded to 252 km.