Vande Bharat Train accident: Indian Railways appeals to cattle owners to be cautious around tracks
The Vande Bharat Express train running on the Mumbai-Gandhinagar route has been in three accidents in the first month after its launch. All three incidents were caused by cattle on tracks. Considering the frequency of the accidents and the reason behind them. Western Railway has warned cattle owners in the region to control the movement of their cattle and not let them come near the railway tracks. If found in violation, strict action will be taken against the cattle owners following the due procedure and law.
The Western Railway CPRO said in a statement, “Western Railway appeals to cattle owners/cattle grazers to not let their cattle come near the railway land/tracks. Stringent action will be taken under the law against the violators.”
It is to be noted that the Vande Bharat train on the Mumbai-Gandhinagar route was damaged on 29 October 2022 in a cattle run-over incident. The incident occurred near the Atul in Mumbai Central while the train was on its journey from Mumbai Central to Gandhinagar. Due to the accident, the train was detained for 15 minutes resulting in a delay in services. After the accident, the nose cone of the train broke. However, the train didn’t have any mechanical damage.
Earlier, the nose of the Vande Bharat train was damaged after it collided with cattle on the same route. This incident occurred between Ahmedabad’s Vatva and Maninagar stations, but, the train travelled without the panel to Gandhinagar Capital station and again to Mumbai Central. However, no functional part of the train was damaged. At the time, the Western Railway said in a statement that the nose of the train was sacrificial by design.
Following the previous incident Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a statement, “All railway tracks in the country still on ground, on surface. Problem of cattle thus persists. However, trains are being designed to tackle such issues. Even after yesterday’s incident, nothing happened to the Vande Bharat train, frthe ont part was repaired.” It is worth noting that there are four Vande Bharat Express trains operating in India now. While the government plans on launching more such trains.
