Tragedy on tracks: Cricketer dies in pain on train; teammates say 'emergency calls ignored'

A devastating incident occurred aboard the Chhattisgarh Express when a 38-year-old disabled cricketer, Vikram Singh from Punjab, reportedly passed away while travelling from Delhi to Gwalior for a wheelchair cricket tournament. Singh’s health suddenly deteriorated during the journey, and despite numerous emergency calls, medical assistance failed to arrive in time.He passed away before the train reached Mathura station, despite repeated efforts to secure help.Singh and his teammates had boarded the Chhattisgarh Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin station on Wednesday night. He began experiencing severe pain shortly after departure, and his condition worsened rapidly as the train approached Mathura.According to reports, an emergency call was made to the railway helpline at 4:58 am, urgently requesting medical support. Despite several follow-up calls, no help materialised.The train was delayed by approximately 90 minutes and eventually reached Mathura station at 8:10 am. By then, Singh had already passed away. “He was in pain in front of our eyes. We kept calling for help, but it never came,” recounted one of his distraught teammates.At Mathura Junction, Government Railway Police (GRP) officials removed Singh’s body and arranged for a postmortem. The GRP has initiated formal proceedings, while railway authorities have launched an internal investigation into the delayed response.The incident has brought to light serious concerns about the effectiveness of Indian Railways’ emergency medical systems. “This is not just a tragedy but a glaring reminder of the gaps in our railway medical emergency response,” said a senior player who was travelling with Vikram.The tragedy has prompted widespread outrage from disability rights advocates and the sporting community, who are questioning Indian Railways' ability to adequately support differently-abled passengers in emergency situations—especially when timely intervention is critical.