Runaway Indian train speeds past station without driver

Footage shows a freight train without a driver on board speeding through a station in northern India.

Indian Railways has ordered an investigation after the unmanned train, which was on its way to Punjab from Jammu, travelled more than 70km (43.4 miles).

Officials say it began moving down a sloping track after the driver and his assistant got off for a crew change.

The 53-wagon train, carrying stone chips, moved at a speed of nearly 100km/h (around 62mph) and managed to cross about five stations before it was brought to a halt.

"The train was stopped after a railway official placed wood blocks on the tracks to stop the train," officials told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency.

Authorities closed off railway crossings along its path, and no-one was hurt.

26 February 2024