Malappuram (Kerala): An incident of stone pelting was reported as the newly launched Vande Bharat Express as the train was slowing down before reaching Tirunavaya station in Malappuram. The incident has left the windowpane of the train cracked. The train left had left Tirur railway station before reaching Tirunavaya when the incident took place. It was travelling from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram.
The Tirur police have launched an investigation into the incident. The Railway Protection Force RPF has also registered a case. Police sources said that a preliminary inspection of the train was done at Shornur. The Indian Railways said that there was no major damage to the train except for a crack. "No one was injured. The windshield of one coach was damaged. Police have registered a case. We have decided to strengthen train security," the Southern Railway said.
Also read: Delhi-Ajmer Vande Bharat train on target of stone pelters; 3 incidents reported in 10 days
Following the incident, the Railways has announced that security will be enhanced around the track of the Vande Bharat Express. The incident took place days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the semi-high speed train at Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station on April 25 during his two day visit to the state.
Stone pelting incidents on India's flagship semi-high-speed express train has been a frequent occurrence in the last few months. Earlier in April, the Vande Bharat Express train on the Alwar-Ajmer-Delhi route got hit by stone pelters in three separate incidents within a span of 10 days. The incidents took place around Delhi Cantt, Palam and Gurgaon. On March 12, an incident of stone pelting on Vande Bharat Express train was reported from West Bengal near Farrakka in Murshidabad district. The incident led to some windowpanes getting damaged. In January stones were pelted on the Vande Bharat train in Visakhapatnam city of Andhra Pradesh during maintenance.
