In a shocking incident at Patas railway station in Pune, a woman narrowly escaped death after a goods train passed over her. The incident occurred around 8 am on Saturday when the woman attempted to cross the railway tracks by crawling underneath a stationary goods train. However, as she was beneath the rake, the train received a green signal and began to move.
How the Woman Survived
As the train started moving, the woman realized the danger and lay flat on the tracks, allowing the train to pass over her. A video of the incident that surfaced on social media shows her lying still as the train passes, after which she gets up and walks away unharmed.
Hemant Kumar Behera, Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) and PRO of the Pune rail division, confirmed the incident. He stated, "This woman, whose identity isn't known, was crossing the track by going underneath a stationary goods train. While she was doing so, the train got the signal and started moving. Sensing danger, the woman lay down on the track and let the train pass over her. Fortunately, she escaped unharmed."
Railway Infrastructure and Awareness
Behera noted that Patas railway station has a foot overbridge (FOB), but extension work is ongoing and expected to be completed soon. He emphasized that the railway administration continuously conducts awareness campaigns to prevent illegal track trespassing throughout the year.
Sources in the division said efforts are underway to identify the woman. Authorities believe she was trying to pass through the rear compartments when the train suddenly started moving and gained speed, leaving her with no choice but to lie down.
Call for Improved Enforcement
Anand Saptarshi, a member of the Divisional Railway Users' Consultative Committee (DRUCC), commented, "The patrolling and action need to improve. Mere awareness campaigns will not help. People should fear crossing the tracks and realize that someone is always monitoring and action can be taken against them. Also, the infrastructure of different railway stations needs to be improved so that people are not forced to cross the tracks like this. However, having said that, many times people cross tracks to save time despite knowing the dangers."
Track Trespassing Statistics
Interestingly, cases of illegal track trespassing in the Pune division have slightly decreased in 2025 compared to 2024. In 2025, 428 track trespassing incidents resulted in 367 deaths and 61 injuries. In 2024, there were 435 incidents leading to 385 deaths and 50 injuries.
