Motorman saves life by braking in time; video goes viral

Video shot by a commuter showing how an alert motorman saved a woman's life by applying brakes in time at the suburban Charni Road station in South Mumbai has gone viral on social media.

Thanks to the 46-second video, the incident which took place nearly two months ago -- on December 6 -- has come to light, and the Western Railway officials are considering rewarding the motorman Santosh Kumar Gautam.

The Churchgate-bound fast local train driven by Gautam, which was approaching the station at the speed of around 70-kmph, halted in the nick of time, just inches from the woman who was walking on the tracks unmindful of the coming train, said a senior Western Railway official.

"We have recorded the motorman's statement and we would like to felicitate him for his presence of mind," said the official.

In the video, shot post-midnight (12.10 am), the unidentified woman, in her fifties, is seen walking along the tracks, oblivious that a train was approaching on the same tracks.

Motorman sounded horn, but she did not hear and continued walking. Brakes were applied and the train came to a halt barely inches from her.

"When the train stopped, people on the platform helped pull her up to the platform," said the official.