Over 7,000 incidents in two years: Railway passengers face major threat, including eye injuries

KOCHI: Railways has taken strict action against stone pelting on trains. 7,971 stone pelting incidents have been reported in the country in the last two years. The Railway Board has announced a 15-day campaign, including strengthening police patrolling and awareness.

Stone pelting on trains poses a major threat to passengers. There have been incidents of injuries, including to the eyes, in Kerala. The situation has worsened since Vande Bharat trains started running with state-of-the-art facilities. The Railways had to spend a huge amount of money on repairs, including replacing broken windows. However, since most of the stone-pelting was done from deserted places under the cover of darkness, many of the accused could not be identified. It is in this context that awareness is being strengthened along with police surveillance. The activities during the campaign period will be supervised by the Railway Board on a daily basis. The subordinate units must submit reports every day. A security committee has also been formed at the state level under the leadership of senior police officers. The train escort team will also be made vigilant.

Hotspots identified

Patrolling of the Railway Protection Force will be intensified in the hotspots according to the campaign that started on the 28th. Action will be taken to catch stone-pelters red-handed and file cases under strict sections. Local police will also be on patrol. Children living in railway slums and near the tracks will be informed of the consequences. Awareness will be created at the school and college levels. Attempts to obstruct the running of the train by blocking the track will also be monitored.

Arrests for stone-pelting on trains (2023-25): 4,549

Expenditure on coach maintenance: Rs 5.79 crore