Vande Bharat Express Window Damaged By Stone Pelting In Kerala, Safety Concerns Rise

In yet another case of stone pelting on trains in Kerala, the Kasargod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express suffered damage to one of its windows due to stones thrown by unidentified individuals. This incident occurred on Wednesday and follows a similar occurrence just three days after two trains were targeted with stones in the northern Kannur district.

The latest incident has raised concerns about the safety of rail travel within the state. According to railway officials, the event took place between 4:00 PM and 4:30 PM near Vatakara. No injuries were reported, and the officials stated that the glass was shattered from outside the train.

Over the weekend, stones were also hurled at the Mangaluru-Chennai Superfast Express and Netravati Express as they passed through a region between Kannur South and Valapattanam in the district, leading to damage to the windowpanes of both trains' AC coaches.

Kerala introduced its first Vande Bharat Express train on April 25 of this year, connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod. The train operates six days a week, covering the 586 km journey in eight hours and five minutes, with stops at 14 railway stations.

Just recently, a window pane of the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat Express was also damaged after a 20-year-old individual allegedly threw stones at the semi high-speed train in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district. This event occurred around 10 AM on a Sunday near Banmore railway station while the train was en route to Delhi.

Upon interrogation, the accused confessed to pelting stones at the premium train for "fun," according to an official statement.

Additionally, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the union railway minister, revealed in Parliament that the Railways has suffered losses exceeding ₹55 lakh due to damage caused by stone pelting on Vande Bharat trains since 2019. In response to such incidents, the minister reported that 151 individuals involved in stone pelting have been arrested. However, there have been no incidents resulting in passenger fatalities, theft, or damage to passengers' belongings, as per the minister's statement in the Lok Sabha.**