Railway security personnel faced an unusual predicament when a young man, believed to be a ‘drug addict,’ locked himself inside the washroom of the south-bound Vande Bharat Express for several hours on Sunday. Despite repeated attempts by the Railway Protection Force and the Government Railway Police to coax him out, their efforts proved unsuccessful. The situation escalated as the individual tore his t-shirt and used it to obstruct the lock sensor, thwarting outside attempts to open the door. The incident occurred when 26-year-old Sharan from Uppala locked himself in the washroom of the executive coach E1 after the train’s departure from Kasaragod railway station at 2.30 pm on Sunday.
Further attempts to unlock the door were made during stops at Kannur and Kozhikode railway stations. However, it wasn’t until the train reached Shoranur that a team of three senior section engineers had to resort to breaking open the door. The delay caused by this incident led to a departure delay of 20 minutes from Shoranur, with the train having arrived there around 5.30 pm.
According to sources, the youth’s drastic action was likely an attempt to travel without a ticket. He had initially tried to enter the washroom while the train was being cleaned at Kasaragod station, but was stopped by the staff. However, he managed to board the train just before its departure.
The washroom of the Vande Bharat train is equipped with fabricated doors featuring two metal layers, adding to the challenge of accessing the locked space.
This incident resulted in a financial loss of Rs 1 lakh for the Railways. Officials estimated that the electronic lock system alone would cost approximately Rs 50,000, while the shift duty allowance for the personnel leading the door-opening efforts would amount to another Rs 50,000.
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