This is the heroic moment a quick-thinking railway guard saved a passenger who nearly fell beneath a moving train.

Dramatic CCTV footage shows the commuter attempting to board the departing train when he suddenly loses his footing in Karnataka, India.

As the train gained speed, the man clung to the handlebars but was dragged along the platform, dangerously close to the lethal gap between the carriage and the concrete.

Railway Protection Force officer Abhijit Singh then rushed toward the victim, grabbing the struggling man and forcefully tugging him away from the moving wheels just as the carriage began to pull him toward the tracks.

Fellow travelers sprinted to assist as the guard successfully brought the man to safety.

The passenger reportedly did not sustain injuries in the incident.

India's frequent train accidents are largely attributed to ageing infrastructure, including outdated tracks and signalling systems.

The railway network's overcrowding, which often operates beyond its designed capacity, puts additional strain on equipment and safety measures. Human error, such as misreading signals or fatigue-related mistakes, also plays a significant role in many of these accidents.