Video: Train Rams Car At Railway Crossing, Driver Escapes, Alleges Gateman Was Drunk

A shocking video shows a car being struck by a train at a railway crossing gate in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam. The incident took place on Thursday night and the train involved is the Hisar-Valsad Express. The video, recorded by bystanders, shows the car - an MG Hector - being dragged along the tracks, but the driver managed to jump out moments before the collision. No casualties were reported.

Railway and police officials rushed to the spot, and a JCB was used to remove the damaged car from the tracks. Train services resumed after the vehicle was cleared.

Driver Alleges Gateman Was Drunk

The car owner recorded the gateman with beer cans alleging he was drunk.

The car driver, Pranav Upadhyay, alleged that the railway crossing gate was open when he entered, but it closed before he could cross. He claimed the gateman was intoxicated when he approached him for help.

"When I rushed to inform the gateman, I found him completely drunk. He was not listening to anything I said. I went to inform him when the train was still 5-10 minutes away, but he ignored me. See what happened, what if something had happened to me?" asked Upadhyay.

The car owner recorded his conversation with the gateman, in which the man is heard saying that he had consumed alcohol half an hour earlier. The driver has blamed the alleged negligence for the accident.

The allegations have not yet been independently verified. A medical team was called late at night to collect the gateman's blood sample and conduct further tests.

Railways Order Probe

Ratlam Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Ashwini Kumar told NDTV that the car entered the crossing as the gates were being closed and became trapped on the tracks. He said the signal had already turned green, leaving the train unable to reverse as it approached the crossing.

"Luckily, no passenger was injured and the tracks are also intact. Our first priority is to send the train from this location as soon as possible," said Kumar.

The DRM confirmed that the allegations against the gateman had come to the railway authorities' attention. He said an investigation would be conducted and strict action would follow if allegations were established.

The Railways is investigating how the car became trapped, whether proper procedures were followed while closing the gates, and whether the gateman was under the influence of alcohol.

(With inputs from Sajid Khan)