LUCKNOW: What began as a routine coach inspection at Gwalior railway station (Madhya Pradesh) turned into a real-life thriller for railway staff on Sunday morning.During scheduled maintenance of the 11801 Gwalior–Prayagraj Express at platform 3, coach and wagon (C&W) staff were checking water levels in a general coach when they sensed something unusual.A highly venomous spectacled cobra appeared to have slithered aboard through an excavation area near the platform and disappeared inside the coach.“Instead of brushing off the suspicion, the alert staff immediately began searching the coach. At first, nothing was visible. But a closer inspection with a torch beneath the washbasins revealed slight movement. The feared intruder had found itself a hiding spot under the coach’s washbasin panel,” said official source of Jhansi division, North Central Railway.RPF personnel and railway officials were informed, and after everyone arrived, the panel beneath the washbasin was carefully dismantled. Out came the full-grown cobra, sending pulses racing among those present.“The snake was safely brought out of the coach, guided off the tracks with sticks and wooden poles, and later released into a suitable natural habitat without harming the reptile,” said the source.Adding further, the official said, “Thanks to the sharp eyes and quick response of the C&W staff, the venomous passenger’s journey ended before the train’s did.”By the time this report was filed, the train was reaching Mau Raipur station of Jhansi district.
