Uttar Pradesh: Stones pelted at Vande Bharat Express enroute from Gorakhpur to Lucknow

The stone-pelting attacks have been widespread, affecting many states where the Vande Bharat Express is operational including the route between Gorakhpur and Lucknow, a significant stretch for the train.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) : The Vande Bharat Express, India's flagship semi-high speed train, has become the target of constant stone-pelting incidents. The latest such occurrence transpired on Friday near Malhaur in Lucknow, where stones were pelted at the train, resulting in damage to its glass windows in coach C-3, railway officials informed.

The railway officials informed that over the span of two months, the train has been targeted twice in such acts of vandalism. The first incident occurred nearly two months ago near the Ayodhya station, and the recent attack took place when the Vande Bharat Express was enroute from Gorakhpur to Lucknow.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has initiated the investigation and is trying to identify and catch the miscreants responsible for the attack with the help of CCTV footage.

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 7, the train commenced full-fledged operations on July 9, plying between Gorakhpur and Lucknow. catering to passengers' needs. Despite being a step towards the advancement of India's railway network, the pattern of stone-pelting incidents has become common.

Other than Vande Bharat Express, several other trains have faced these acts over the past few months. On August 7, some individuals targeted the train near the Safedabad railway station, causing damage to the glass panes in coach C-2. Similarly, a train was pelted with stones on July 11, merely two days after its commercial operation commenced. The attack occurred in Sohawal, preceding Ayodhya, and the assailants were apprehended. They revealed that their act was a retaliation for their goats being killed by the Vande Bharat Express.