Up there, at 120 km an hour!
By: Ram Parmar
February 11, 2005
Palghar: Mohammed Illyas Ali (44) of Vapi wanted to reach Mumbai fast
and cheap. So he chose to travel on the rooftop of the 2954 Up New
Delhi-Mumbai August Kranti Rajdhani Express. But his joyride ended soon
as he was detrained by alert signalling staff at Palghar, last week.
According to reports, Illyas, a father of six and a carpenter by
profession, wanted to meet his friend at Goregaon. At Vapi station, he
purchased a Rs 25 shuttle ticket for Borivali.
But suddenly he spotted the Rajdhani Express, which had halted at Vapi,
and without thinking twice, climbed on the rooftop of the S-7 bogie and
stayed put.
The train hurtled at a top speed of 120 kmph, but it did not frighten
Illyas, who waved at shocked bystanders when the train whizzed past
stations.
However, the Vangaon signal staff did not find it amusing and promptly
informed the Boisar station, who were unable to halt the train on time.
It was when the train halted for a minute at Palghar station that Illyas
was arrested by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and charged
under Section 156 (rooftop travelling), said sub-inspector M S Thakur,
chief, RPF, Palghar. Illyas has been produced before the Vasai Railway
court.
http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/february/103395.htm
