Mumbai, May 17: The Indian Railways on Tuesday conducted the trial run of the semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express train on the Mumbai-Goa route. Amid the trial run of the Vande Bharat Express Train, numerous instances of stone pelting on Train18 have been reported from across the country. As per reports, not one or two but 13 instances of stone pelting incidents on the Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat have been reported so far.

The development comes nearly a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer Vande Bharat Express last month on April 12. The Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat Express runs between Jaipur and Delhi Cantt railway stations and is Rajasthan's first Vande Bharat Express train. Since its launch in April last month, 13 incidents of stone pelting on the Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat have been reported, reports the Times of India. Vande Bharat Express Train Pelted With Stones Again in Visakhapatnam, Third Incident in Past Three Months.

As per the Indian Railways guidelines, pelting stones or vandalising Vande Bharat train and railways property can invite up to five years of imprisonment. While the cause behind pelting stones on the world's first semi-high-speed passenger train is not known, cases have been lodged against unknown people in various police stations.

Speaking about the stone pelting incident, Captain Shashi Kiran, chief public relations officer of NWR said, "Along with the possibility of injury to passengers, such acts can also lead to imprisonment. Railway is your own property, any kind of vandalism or activity in the railway coach or railway premises, where there is loss of railway revenue, the defaulters can be punished under relevant sections of the Railway Act."

While the stone pelting incidents have not only put passengers' safety at risk, the acts by unknown people are also causing loss of property and time to the railways. The CPRO also said that the railway protection force is monitoring the situation and are on the lookout for anti-social elements. PM Narendra Modi To Flag Off Delhi-Jaipur Vande Bharat Train on April 12.

Besides Ajmer-Delhi Cantt Vande Bharat Express, stone pelting incidents have also been reported on the Kerala Vande Bharat train. On May 8, stones were pelted at the Kerala Vande Bharat Express Train for the second time within a span of a week.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 17, 2023 04:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).