Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express averted a major accident on Monday because of vigilant locomotive pilots. The loco pilots spotted stones, clips and other obstructions on track and applied emergency brakes to prevent accidents. Based on the reports, the incident took place between Gangarar and Soniyana section after crossing Chittorgarh. A video showing the stones and two one foot rods placed on the tracks (where Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express was supposed to cross) is being widely shared on social media.
“A Vande Bharat Udaipur-Jaipur Express travelling from the Gangarar-Soniyana section was stopped due to the placing of some ballast on the track and of two rods, of one foot each, in the joggle plate on the said route…An FIR is being registered. Strict action will taken against those involved in this…,” said Captain Shashi Kiran, CPRO, North Western Railway.
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Reports suggest, that the incident occurred at 9:55 am in the morning. The train sustained no damage and continued its journey after the track was cleared. The incident in the North Western Zone of the Indian Railways has prompted an investigation by the Railway Police and the local authorities.
The Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express leaves Udaipur city at 7:50 am and arrives in Jaipur at 14:05 pm. It runs six days a week, excluding Tuesdays. It is one of the three units of the semi-high speed train operated in Rajasthan and was 26th unit of the train in India. The train began its operations after inaugration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 September 2023.
Previously, multiple cases of miscreants trying to harm Vande Bharat Express trains have been reported from across the country. In such instances, there have been attempts of stone pelting on the train. Some of the miscreants even managed to damage window panes and glasses on the train with stones in the past. The trains in India have also witnessed multiple unfortunate accidents of crash with animals on track, which ended up damaging the train.