Vande Bharat Express faces stone-pelting attack; executive class window damaged on Odisha route

The windowpane of an Executive Class coach on the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar Vande Bharat Express was damaged when the train was attacked with stones between Meramandali and Budhapank in the Dhenkanal-Angul Railway Section in Odisha on Sunday.

The windowpane of an Executive Class coach on the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar Vande Bharat Express was damaged when the train was attacked with stones between Meramandali and Budhapank in the Dhenkanal-Angul Railway Section in Odisha on November 26.

The incident was reported by the on-duty Railway Protection Force (RPF) escorting staff, according to the East Coast Railway (ECoR). The ECoR has taken the matter seriously and has alerted the RPF and Government Railway Police (GRP). An Assistant Security Commissioner from Cuttack has been dispatched to the location.

The local police have also been notified, and the ECoR emphasised that strict action will be taken against the stone pelters. The ECoR, in coordination with local police, is actively working to identify the culprits. Similar incidents have been reported in other parts of the country, but fortunately, no passengers have been harmed.

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The Indian Railways, particularly the ECoR, consistently conducts campaigns to educate the public, especially those living near rail tracks, about the dangers of throwing stones at trains, as it poses a threat to passengers.

This is not the first time a Vande Bharat train has been targeted, with a number of instances of such attacks having occurred elsewhere in the country as well in the past. For instance, a window on the moving Vande Bharat Express was damaged by stone-pelting miscreants in Vatakara, Kerala, in August this year. In the same month, the train was targeted while traveling from Gorakhpur to Lucknow in the Barabanki region of Uttar Pradesh.

Besides, multiple incidents of vandalism on Vande Bharat Express took place in West Bengal and Visakhapatnam earlier this year.

However, there have been no reports of harm to passengers in any of these incidents.

To ensure the safety of passengers and prevent damage to railway property from acts of vandalism, the Railways has implemented several measures:

• Regular awareness programs, including Operation Saathi, are conducted in residential areas adjacent to railway tracks to raise awareness about the dangers of stone-pelting.
• Ongoing drives are conducted against anti-social elements, such as drunkards and mischievous individuals, in affected sections and black spots. Apprehended persons are prosecuted under legal provisions.
• Passengers can file complaints directly on the Rail Madad Portal or through the Helpline Number 139, which is integrated with the National Emergency No. 112, for immediate assistance.
• The Railways actively engages with passengers through various social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Koo, etc., to enhance passenger security and address their concerns related to security.