Bizarre Video Shows Guard Stopping Train To Manually Open Railway Crossing Gate In Bihar

Indian Railways, already under scrutiny for various issues, is now making headlines for an unusual reason. A video circulating online reveals a train guard manually opening a level crossing in Bihar’s Siwan district. The footage shows a local reporter near the crossing as a train stops a few meters away from the gate. The train guard then exits the train, walks back to the gate, opens it to allow waiting vehicles to pass, and subsequently returns to the train to continue its journey. This incident has sparked a debate on social media about railway safety and regulations

In the clip, the local reporter is heard saying, “The train has crossed but the gate is still down. The train will stop ahead and the guard will come out with a handle. He will use the handle to lift the gate and then the train will move forward again. This is how the crossing works in Bihar’s Siwan district. It’s a unique system in Bihar where the train’s loco pilot or guard personally open and closes the gate.” When the reporter tried inquiring if this practice had been going on for years, the guard remained silent on the matter.

Meanwhile, sharing the video on X, a user wrote, “Amazing sight, as the train guard or driver gets off to close the gate. Is this Bihar’s development or the railway minister’s hard work?”

Soon after the video was shared online, Railway Seva tagged the local authority and urged them to investigate the matter.

Reacting to the post, a user wrote, “Staff ki shortage hai. (There’s a shortage in staff).”

Another shared, “This is one of the ways to curtail expenditure. After all you can see on your train tickets how much subsidy the government gives you.”

“This is the living proof, a guard doing extra work, for no extra salary,” a comment read.

Another wondered, “Does the train also stop before the gate so that the guard can close it just for the train to pass?”

An individual informed, “This happens on some single line sections where the daily traffic is very less and it is not very economical to put a cabin and employ people on every level crossing,”

One more added, “It seems like the train administration is living in the 16th century.”

Since the video from Bihar was shared online, it has garnered over 1 million views.