When the Coimbatore-Hisar Express made a small halt shortly after it departed from the Palakkad station on Saturday, little did the passengers know that the loco pilot of the train had halted the moving train to save two lives. The driver’s act of kindness was captured on camera by PR Rajesh, the cameraperson of Manorama News’s Palakkad bureau. In the video, the loco pilot of the train is seen halting the moving train, coming out and then moving the two cows that had strayed into the railway track.

The incident happened by around 12.40 pm on Saturday, just after the Coimbatore-Hisar Express left the Palakkad station. In the visuals, two cows can be seen standing on the railway track, in front of the slow-moving train that was heading to Coimbatore.

Loud honks can be heard from the train, as the driver tries to encourage the cows to move away from the track. However, since the cows continued to run ahead on the railway track, the loco pilot halts the train and comes out. He can then be seen running behind the cows, making them move away from the track. After ensuring that the cows have moved off the tracks, he soon ascends back to the cabin, driving the train away.

Cameraperson Rajesh was at the crossroad, waiting for the train to pass, which is when he witnessed the act. “There was an event nearby which I had come to cover, it was then, while waiting to cross the railway cross that was closed as the train was passing, that this happened,” Rajesh told TNM.

Meanwhile, talking to TNM, railway officials of the Palakkad Railway Division stated that this act may not have been possible if it was a speeding train. “We are glad to see this video, showcasing the act of kindness by the official. The issue is, luckily, this was a slow-moving train. If the train is at a high speed and similarly some animals stray into the track suddenly, they cannot be often saved due to a practical difficulty,” reminded the official.

Watch the loco pilot’s considerate act here: