An alert motorman averted a major tragedy on Tuesday when he applied emergency brakes right in time, stopping his train just a few metres away from the spot where part of a road overbridge had collapsed in suburban Andheri.

The motorman (driver), Chandrashekhar B Sawant, who was steering the Churchgate-bound 7.06 am suburban train from Borivli, saw a portion of the road over bridge falling as he was nearing the Andheri station.