Udupi: A man’s presence of mind that helped prevent a probable railway accident has come for much praise here.

The man saw a crack in the railway track and immediately informed the Udupi Railway Station Master.

Krishna Poojary (53) is a daily wage worker and who works as an assistant cook at an eatery at Korangarapady here.

He used to go on a six-kilometre walk daily by the side of the railway track at around 6.30 a.m. His right leg is weak and he has been advised by his doctor to walk.

On October 27, Mr. Poojary went for his walk as usual but was delayed by about 15 minutes. “When I went walking at 6.45 a.m., I noticed the crack in the railway track at Brahmasthana Nagabana here. It was about half an inch wide,” he said.

“A train from Goa passes on the same track towards Mangaluru at around 7.15 a.m. or 7.30 a.m. every day. There was little time. Despite having pain in my right leg, I managed to run and reached the office of the Station Master,” he said.

Mr. Poojary then explained what he had seen to the officials there. Soon, they got the staff concerned and sent them with Mr. Poojary to the spot. “Meantime, the train from Goa had reached the Udupi Railway Station. They stopped it there. I took the three staff members to the spot and they repaired the crack. After the repair, they allowed the train from Goa to pass. My concern was only for the safety of the passengers. That is why I ran despite the pain in my leg,” Mr. Poojary said.

In appreciation of his laudable work, the Konkan Railway will felicitate Mr. Poojary at his home at Korangarapady here on Wednesday. “We appreciate the fact that he took the trouble to inform us about the crack. Hence, we decided to felicitate him for his noble work,” said Sudha Krishnamurthy, PRO, Konkan Railway.