This is the terrifying moment a snake on a train sparked panic among passengers in India.

Travellers noticed the venomous reptile coiling around a metal handle next to the air conditioner vent during a trip from Jabalpur to Mumbai on September 23.

Footage shows the serpent attempting to reach the ceiling as those onboard scattered, desperate to keep a safe distance from the creature.

Train staff were alerted by the locals and they managed to subdue the snake and stuff it into an old rice sack.

No one was reportedly harmed during the encounter in the air conditioning coach G17 onboard the Garib Rath Express.

Officials said that passengers were sent to another carriage while they surrounded the snake.

Onlooker Abhishek Pathak said: 'I was in the same coach. It came from outside when the train stopped before Kasara. But staff did an excellent job to remove it.'

Another passenger added: 'A wild snake came in from a nearby tree. People tried to throw it out through a blanket. But the blanket went out and the snake went into the air conditioning panel.'

Being bitten by a venomous snake can cause the victim to experience low blood pressure, a faster heart rate, and a weaker pulse. Though the survival rate is high, some people may experience lasting disabilities or disfigurement.