Vande Bharat Express Under Attack: 13 Stone Pelting Incidents Since April on Ajmer-Delhi Route

The Indian Railways on Tuesday conducted a trial run of the Vande Bharat Express train, which is a semi-high-speed train, on the Mumbai-Goa route. During the trial run, several incidents of stone pelting on Train18 have been reported nationwide. According to reports, there have been a total of 13 stone pelting incidents on the Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat route.

Nearly a month after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 12, the Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer Vande Bharat Express has seen some new developments. Running between Jaipur and Delhi Cantt railway stations, the Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat Express is Rajasthan's inaugural Vande Bharat Express train. According to the Times of India, since its launch last month in April, there have been 13 reported incidents of stone pelting on the Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat Express.

According to the guidelines set by the Indian Railways, individuals who engage in stone pelting or vandalising the Vande Bharat train or railway property can face imprisonment for up to five years. Although the motive behind the stone pelting incidents on the world's first semi-high-speed passenger train remains unknown, cases have been registered against unidentified individuals at different police stations.

Captain Shashi Kiran, chief public relations officer of NWR reacted on the stone-pelting incidents and said, "Along with the possibility of injury to passengers, such acts can also lead to imprisonment. Railway is your own property, any kind of vandalism or activity in the railway coach or railway premises, where there is loss of railway revenue, the defaulters can be punished under relevant sections of the Railway Act."

The stone pelting incidents not only endanger the safety of passengers but also result in property damage and time loss for the railways. The Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) mentioned that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is actively monitoring the situation and is vigilant in identifying and apprehending individuals involved in these acts of vandalism.

In addition to the Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat Express, there have been incidents of stone pelting reported on the Kerala Vande Bharat train. Within a week, on May 8, the Kerala Vande Bharat Express Train was targeted with stone pelting for the second time.