New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said that the Indian Railways have incurred a loss of Rs 55.60 lakh over the last five years due to damage caused by stone pelting on Vande Bharat trains.
"Some incidents of stone pelting incidents have been reported on Vande Bharat trains. During the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 (up to June), Indian Railways suffered losses of Rs 55.60 lakh due to damage caused to Vande Bharat trains in the incidents of stone pelting," the railway minister told the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Monsoon session of parliament.
Vaishnaw said that in order to safeguard the lives of passengers and damage to railway property against vandalism, the RPF, in coordination with GRP/District police and civil administration, is conducting OPERATION SATHI in inhabited areas adjacent to railway tracks to sensitise people against stone pelting and its consequences.
Earlier this month, the newly launched Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express witnessed a stone pelting incident near Sohawal station.
However, the officials said no one was injured during the incident.
Previously on July 5, miscreants had pelted stones at the newly launched Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express in Karnataka.
The incident occurred at 8:40 am when the train was passing between the Kadur-Birur section at ‘KM 2017/500’, as per the railway officials.
Last month, unknown persons had pelted stones near Muzaffarnagar station on the Delhi-Dehradun Route. The stone was pelted at the E1 coach of Vande Bharat Express near Muzaffarnagar station on the Delhi-Dehradun Route, Railway officials said.
Earlier, in May, a similar incident was reported from Kerala where stones were pelted at Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express.
Previously on April 6, a fresh incident of stone pelting was reported at the Vande Bharat Express from Vishakhapatnam. Again in January, stones were pelted at the Vande Bharat train in Vishakhapatnam during maintenance activities.