Brick pelted at brand new Jalpaiguri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express; glass window cracks

An incident of stone pelting was reported on the brand new Vande Bharat Express near Samsi Kumarganj of Kathia Division of the Indian Railways. According to sources, a brick was thrown at the train when it was returning to Howrah from New Jalpaiguri. The impact caused a crack in the glass shield on the door. The incident comes to light just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, virtually flagged off the Vande Bharat Express connecting Howrah and New Jalpaiguri on December 30, 2022.

Sources revealed that the coach C-13 of the train is where the brick was thrown. The passengers, however, are reported to be safe. This is not the first instance of stone pelting on Vande Bharat Express as the recent one was reported when AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi was travelling in the train from Ahmedabad to Surat in Gujarat in November 2022. Party leader Waris Pathan even shared a picture of the broken window of his coach. Another instance was reported in December 2022 when a Vande Bharat Express train was travelling from Nagpur to Bilaspur. 

Vande Bharat Express in West Bengal

The Vande Bharat Express in West Bengal was the seventh to be inagurated in India to improve connectivity between major Indian cities. Covering a distance of 546 km in 7.4 hours, the train will save three hours of travel time compared to other trains on the route, officials said. It will have three stoppages at Barsoi, Malda and Bolpur. 

PM Modi dedicated the Vande Bharat Express to the state after it has been equipped with advanced technologies to make the transit more comfortable and time-saving. Along with rotatable seats, the coaches of the Vande Bharat Express have automatic doors, smoke alarms, security, odour control, bio-vacuum toilets, sensory taps and several other amenities. The coaches have also been installed with big windows allowing travellers a fantastic sightseeing experience.