Video: Rat causes chaos on New York subway

Commuters were scrabbling onto seats and screaming for dear life after seeing the rat

The rat rushes across the carriage, leaving passengers scared for their lives (Jinais Ponnampadikkal Kader/YouTube)

The monotony of the morning commute was broken after a rat was spotted on a busy train on the New York subway.

In a video uploaded to YouTube earlier this week, terrified passengers were left standing on their seats and screaming as they tried to avoid the equally frightened rodent.

The two and a half minute video, entitled ‘RAT on the New York subway!’, was uploaded by user Jinais Ponnampadikkal Kader, a software developer from New Jersey.

According to the description for the video, the rat boarded the Brooklyn-bound train at Fulton Street Station and scurried through the carriage.

“Someone getting off the train was screaming "RAT on the train!". But by the time everyone realized what was happening, the doors closed and the train entered the tunnel. We were stuck with him till the other end.”

In the clip, some commuters try to remain calm and seated, lifting their legs off the floor, while others laugh nervously. But Ponnampadikkal Kader says he stood still while chaos ensued around him.

Speaking to the New York Daily News, he said "Everyone was so scared, even the men were climbing on top of chairs.

"Usually the Monday morning ride is really boring, but this brightened it up," he added.

The video was uploaded on Monday, after the incident took place, and has garnered 450,000 views since then.