Operations on a railway line in Bihar's Mokama district came to a halt after a gateman at a railway crossing near Mokama junction fell asleep while on duty. The incident affected not only train operations but also traffic, as the gate remained closed for a brief time.

The closure of the gate halted the operations for about 10 minutes, causing a long traffic jam on the road. Vehicles were stranded while commuters faced delays in reaching their destinations.

Jan Shatabdi, South Bihar Express, MEMU delayed

The asleep gatekeeper failed to flag signals for operations, causing railway traffic disruption. According to a report by Jagran.com, the operations of at least 3 trains, Jan Shatabdi Express, South Bihar Express and MEMU trains, were affected.

While the disruption took place, the railway control and station panel made several attempts to contact the gateman. However, there was no response from him.

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Gateman found sleeping

The lack of contact made the situation worse. The authorities rushed other staff to the site, who found the gateman sleeping.

The gate was opened, and the signal was cleared to finally resume the rail operations and road traffic.

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The railway department has taken action against the gateman, suspending him with immediate effect. Considering it a serious security lapse, the railway administration has also initiated a department inquiry over the negligence.