In yet another incident, stones were pelted at Vande Bharat Express by some miscreants in Uttar Pradesh. As per the information, the incident took place on Wednesday night when Varanasi-Delhi Vande Bharat Express reached Kanpur station. The attack took place near Panki station in Kanpur, causing a window in the AC Chair Car (C-7) coach to shatter. The passengers were left in panic after the stone hit the coach. The train's driver immediately informed the control room, and an FIR was filed against unknown attackers by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Panki.
Joint teams of Government Railway Police(GRP) and RPF conducted patrolling from Panki to Bhaupur following the incident. According to railway officials, the train departed slightly later than scheduled from Kanpur Central, and the stone pelting occurred around 7:05 PM as it entered Panki station’s outer signal.
This is not the first such incident at this location. In the last year alone, there have been over seven instances of stone pelting targeting the Vande Bharat Express. The Panki to Bhaupur section on the Delhi route and the Chakeri to Prempur stations on the Howrah route are frequently targeted, with Vande Bharat Express being a particular focus of these attacks.
Vande Bharat Express
The Vande Bharat Express is a high-performance, electric multiple-unit train operated by Indian Railways. It was designed by RDSO and manufactured by the government-owned Integral Coach Factory (ICF), located in Chennai. It is considered a semi-high-speed train, which is the second fastest train in India.
According to reports, Vande Bharat Express remains the most profitable and lucrative business for Indian railways, with the highest occupancy rate of 130%. It should be mentioned here that Vande Bharat was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.
Goods train derails in Madhya Pradesh
Meanwhile, two wagons of a goods train derailed near a railway yard in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday night. Though no one was hurt in the incident, it had affected rail traffic on the down line, an official added. "Efforts are on to restore the route," the official said.
(Input by Anamika Gaur)
