NEW DELHI, Dec 27: Perhaps for the first time, a “train stowaway” was found in India. The Railway staffers carrying out a routine inspection of a train’s rolling stock and undercarriage at Jabalpur station in Madhya Pradesh were in for a shock on Friday when they noticed a stowaway under one of the coaches, hiding between the wheels.
Their shock only grew when they were told that the man had travelled 290 km in this fashion, all the way from Itarsi.
Officials said employees from the Carriage and Wagon Department noticed unusual movement under the AC-4 coach of the Pune-Danapur Express (train no 12149) and asked the loco pilot to stop the train. The staff then found a man hiding in the trolley section between the wheels. He was asked to come out and later handed over to the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
During initial questioning, the man said he could not afford a train ticket and therefore resorted to this method of travel to reach Jabalpur. Officials, however, said his responses indicated that he may be mentally challenged.
The RPF in Jabalpur is conducting further investigation to verify the man’s identity and understand the circumstances that led him to undertake such a risky journey.
(Manas Dasgupta)
