While no loss of life has been reported due to stone-pelting on Vande Bharat trains, the Railways has suffered damages worth Rs 55.60 lakh since 2019, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, while responding to a question from BJP MP Queen Oja, informed the House that no theft or damage to passenger belongings was reported in the stone-pelting incidents.
“Some incidents of stone pelting have been reported on Vande Bharat trains. During the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 (up to June), Indian Railways suffered a loss of Rs 55.60 lakh due to damage caused to Vande Bharat trains in the incidents of stone pelting,” Vaishnaw said while replying to the Guwahati MP.
He also said that 151 people involved in stone-pelting have been arrested so far.
Further, last week, the ministry informed the Rajya Sabha that 4,233 incidents of stone-pelting on trains were reported over the Indian Railways during the last three years: 2020, 2021, and 2022. These incidents included stone-pelting across all the trains, including Vande Bharat.
According to the ministry data, in 2022, at least 1,503 cases of stone-pelting on moving trains were registered by the Railway Protection Force and 488 people were arrested.
The ministry also informed Parliament that various awareness programmes including Operation Sathi were conducted regularly in inhabited areas adjacent to railway tracks to sensitise people towards the menace of stone-pelting and its consequences.
Also, detailed guidelines have been issued regarding action to be taken to control incidents of stone-pelting on moving trains. Analysis of these incidents followed by substantive action is taken to curb these incidents.
Currently, 50 services of Vande Bharat trains are operational across India and almost all these trains have reported stone-pelting.
The Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat that was flagged off this month was also attacked a few days later. The train was going to Lucknow from Gorakhpur when stones were thrown at it near Sohawal railway station. Four window panes of the executive class were damaged.
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