Gir: A routine early-morning passenger train journey near the Gir forest briefly turned tense when a pride of 10 lions was spotted on the tracks, but swift action by the loco pilot averted a possible disaster.

On Monday, the Veraval–Junagadh passenger train was passing through the Sasan Gir–Kansiyanesh section when the loco pilot, Ramavatar Meena, noticed the lions ahead in low light. He and co-pilot Sonu Sharma immediately applied emergency brakes, bringing the train to a halt in time and preventing a collision in the sensitive lion corridor.

The loco pilot alerted train manager Sanjay Dixit, while forest department tracker J.G. Parmar, who was travelling on the train, helped guide the lions safely away from the tracks. The train resumed its journey only after the area was cleared.

Railway officials praised the crew’s alertness, emphasising the importance of strict speed limits and vigilance in wildlife zones. According to the Bhavnagar Railway Division, coordinated efforts by railway and forest authorities saved 159 lions from train accidents in 2024–25, with 101 more protected so far this year. DeshGujarat