Stone-throwing incidents on Vande Bharat trains in Karnataka raise alarm

Bengaluru: Two Vande Bharat Express trains were pelted with stones in different parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, officials said, expressing concern over repeated damage to the premium railway service. 

While there were no injuries in any of these incidents, at least four windows suffered damage. The cost of repairing/replacing one windowpane goes up to Rs 22,000. 

One of the trains — the KSR Bengaluru-Dharwad-KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat (20661/20662) — suffered damage twice: during the onward and the return journey. 

The Dharwad-bound train was the first to take the hit as it hurtled past the Chikkabanavara railway station in northern Bengaluru around 6.15 am. The train was attacked again during the return journey between the Haveri and Harihar stations around 3.30 pm, an official in the Railway Protection Force (PRF) said. 

The Mysuru-Chennai Central Vande Bharat (20608), which passes through Bengaluru, was pelted with stones before the Kuppam station in Andhra Pradesh around 4.30 pm. 

Two of these attacks occurred in the Bengaluru railway division (Chikkabanavara and Kuppam). The third attack took place in the Mysuru division. 

In the Bengaluru division, there have been at least 10 incidents of stone-throwing on the Vande Bharat Express this year, including the two reported on Sunday. Last year, there were 40 such incidents. Fifty-nine people have been arrested so far, another official from the division said. 

A senior RPF official expressed dismay at the recurring stone-throwing and underscored the challenges in apprehending the culprits. 

"In most cases, this is the handiwork of destitute children, alcoholics and druggies though some do it just to fulfil a fetish," the official told DH, requesting anonymity. 

While the RPF is reviewing CCTV footage — both inside and outside the trains — the official said it was "too early to draw conclusions". 

"The train would be running at over 100 kmph. The investigation is quite painstaking," the official added. 

Stone-throwing on trains is a criminal offence punishable with up to five years of imprisonment under Section 153 of the Railway Act. 

RPF personnel have been patrolling vulnerable spots and sections in the Bengaluru division to prevent stone-throwing on trains, an official said.