Video: Woman narrowly escapes death after stepping onto Kolkata Metro tracks

A woman narrowly escaped death after stepping onto the tracks at Kolkata Metro's Bansdroni (Masterda Surya Sen) station in an apparent attempt to change platforms, prompting authorities to temporarily suspend services on the Blue Line. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon and ended safely after fellow commuters and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel intervened in time.

According to preliminary information, the woman had mistakenly reached the Up-line platform when she intended to travel towards New Garia on the Down line. Instead of using the designated subway or foot overbridge to switch platforms, she climbed down onto the metro tracks in an attempt to cross over.

The situation turned critical when a metro train had already arrived on the down line while another train on the up line was preparing to depart. Alarmed passengers immediately began shouting warnings after noticing the woman on the tracks. Frightened by the commotion, she stopped dangerously close to the 400-volt electrified third rail, where even a slight misstep could have proved fatal.

METRO AUTHORITIES ACTED SWIFTLY

Metro authorities acted swiftly by disconnecting power to the third rail and suspending train services on the affected section. Metro operations remained halted for around five to ten minutes while emergency measures were carried out.

After ensuring the power supply had been cut, GRP personnel and metro staff safely escorted the woman off the tracks and onto the Down-line platform. Services resumed shortly after the rescue operation was completed.

The woman later told fellow passengers that she had accidentally boarded the wrong platform and attempted to cross the tracks after realising her mistake. She said she wanted to travel towards New Garia and stepped onto the tracks before noticing the approaching metro train.

The incident has raised serious concerns over passenger safety and station security. Questions are being raised about how the woman was able to access the tracks without being stopped and whether adequate surveillance and security personnel were present at the station.

Metro authorities are expected to review the incident and examine whether additional safety measures are required to prevent similar occurrences. Officials have repeatedly urged commuters not to enter the tracks under any circumstances and to use designated routes for changing platforms.