Heavy stones were thrown at Vande Bharat express train, shattering the windows. The event happened on West Bengal’s Malda only 4 days after its launch.
Stones were thrown at the Vande Bharat Express, which runs between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri, barely four days after it was introduced, causing damage to its glass panes.
The event happened close to Malda Station. The inquiry is in progress.
According to the Indian Railway, no passengers were hurt. Even after the mishap, the train was not delayed due to this.
A case under Section 154 of the Railways Act has been filed against unidentified individuals.
On December 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the semi-high-speed train that will travel between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri. West Bengal residents greeted the Vande Bharat express for the first time
From Howrah, the Vande Bharat Express train also connects south Bengal to North Bengal. It was publicly inaugurated in the presence of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The stone was pelted at the train while it was running for the first time commercially.
The Eastern Railways commented on the incident and said, “According to information from the on-duty T.E party of the T.N. 22302 Vande Bharat Exp., coach number C13 was stoned after passing through Kumarganj station under IPF Samsi on January 2 at around 17.50 hrs. The outcome was a crack in the door glass. An ASI and four employees from RPF POST D-Shed MLDT with weapons and ammunition made up the train escort.”
This is the seventh Vande Bharat express train that connects between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri (NJP) was first hailed by the prime minister through video conference.
The train will only make three stops on its 550-kilometre journey from Howrah to NJP, taking just over seven and a half hours to get there. Additionally, the Shatabdi also travels between the two terminals.
The Vande Bharat will run six days a week, except for Wednesdays. Around 5.50 am, the train will depart from Howrah, and at 1.25 pm, it will reach NJP. At 3.05 pm, the train will depart from NJP and arrive in Howrah at 10.35 pm.
Tickets for the Vande Bharat Express were made available from the start of January 1. According to the IRCTC website, the cost of a chair-car seat is Rs 1,565, and the cost of an executive class is Rs 2,825.
According to officials, the train will save three hours of travel time compared to other trains on the route because it travels the 564 km journey in 7.45 hours. There are three stops along the way, Bolpur, Malda, and Barsoi.
The train departed from Howrah at 6 am and arrive at New Jalpaiguri at 1:30 pm. Then the express train moved forward to New Jalpaiguri at 2:30 pm and arrive in Howrah at 10 pm after a one-hour halt.
The train is most likely to be used by regular passengers, tea business executives, and tourists travelling to the Himalayas in North Bengal and Sikkim. due to its sophisticated passenger amenities.
BJP leader on vandalization of Vande Bharat Express
Suvendu Adhikari, the head of the BJP and the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, called the act “sickening” and questioned whether it was “revenge” for “Jai Shri Ram” chanting on the first day.
Earlier, at the opening ceremony in Howrah station, BJP supporters shouted “Jai Shri Ram,” prompting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to decline to get up on the dais where the train was flagged off.
Adhikari further said, “She elected to sit on a chair below the dais with the audience, despite the efforts of West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav to calm her down”.
After the stone-throwing incident, Adhikari urged that the NIA look into the matter.
“Unlucky and sickening. The Vande Bharat Express, an icon of India, was stoned in the Malda region of West Bengal. Was the singing of “Jai Shree Ram” on the first day of work the cause of this? I beg” @PMOIndia & @RailMinIndia to hand the case over to @NIA India and prosecute the criminals. The BJP politician tweeted “@AshwiniVaishnaw” on Monday.
