Woman Train Guard Miraculously Escapes After Train Moves During Under-Coach Inspection

A woman train guard in Kerala had a miraculous escape on Monday morning when the Netravati Express began to move while she was inspecting its undercarriage. She managed to save herself by quickly lying flat on the track.

T.K. Deepa, a resident of Kundamankadavu, Thiruvananthapuram, was conducting a crucial inspection under the train when the unexpected movement occurred. The incident unfolded at Chirayinkeezhu, where the Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai Netravati Express had been halted following reports of smoke emanating from one of its coaches.

The smoke was first noticed by staff at Murukkumpuzha station at approximately 9:15 AM on Monday. Upon receiving the alert, the train was brought to a stop at Chirayinkeezhu to allow for an immediate inspection. Deepa, a train manager, descended beneath a coach to pinpoint the source of the smoke.

In a harrowing turn of events, as Deepa was still under the train, it suddenly lurched forward. Two coaches moved before the train was finally brought to a halt. Deepa’s quick thinking and immediate action to lie prostrate on the tracks prevented a potentially fatal accident. Eyewitnesses reported that she desperately attempted to contact the loco pilots via walkie-talkie during the alarming moments, but it was the loud shouts and alarms raised by onlookers that ultimately led to the train being stopped. A gatekeeper from the station then assisted Deepa in emerging from under the train.

Although she escaped with her life, Deepa sustained a knee injury from falling on the track. Despite the traumatic experience, she initially continued her duty. She was later admitted to a railway hospital in Kollam and subsequently transferred to the railway hospital in Pettah for treatment. The Netravati Express eventually resumed its journey to Mumbai after another guard was assigned. Railway authorities have launched a formal investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the train’s unexpected movement during the inspection.