Repeated stone pelting incidents on Vande Bharat: How AI is used to track offenders
Most recently, a 19-year-old youth was arrested near Aluva following the incident that occurred on March 7 when the Vande Bharat Express operating between Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru, was pelted with stones near the Kochi airport.
Most recently, a 19-year-old youth was arrested near Aluva following the incident that occurred on March 7 when the Vande Bharat Express operating between Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru, was pelted with stones near the Kochi airport.
Most recently, a 19-year-old youth was arrested near Aluva following the incident that occurred on March 7 when the Vande Bharat Express operating between Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru, was pelted with stones near the Kochi airport.
Incidents of youngsters pelting stones at high-speed Vande Bharat trains are reported repeatedly across the country. Most recently, a 19-year-old youth was arrested near Aluva following the incident that occurred on March 7, when the Vande Bharat Express operating between Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru was pelted with stones near the Kochi airport. Minor damage was caused to the side window panes of the train, and the RPF and Railway Police launched an investigation, leading to the youth's arrest on Thursday. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently told the media that the train has the following safety features that help authorities track down culprits:
Quick tracking
The minister said that Vande Bharat is fitted with high-resolution cameras, and even a small picture of the suspected offender can help authorities track them with AI. Recently, in Muzaffarnagar, the technology helped authorities reach even the offender's exact house, he said. Around two years ago, the Howrah Division of Indian Railways also introduced an advanced predictive maintenance system with AI for the Vande Bharat trains, to enable real-time Remote Monitoring and Management of Locomotives and Trains (REMMLOT) and identify and address potential issues before they disrupt services. The system now helps track speed, faults and fuel levels to improve train performance. It even guides loco pilots in crisis and plan maintenance, as per reports.
The window glasses
In several stone pelting incidents, only the outer layer of the Vande Bharat train's glass has cracked. This is because the train's glass is laminated and is designed to withstand such impacts. At the same time, there are also incidents in which the reinforced window panes of Vande Bharat were shattered.
Punishment for stone pelting
Cases of stone pelting are registered at the RPF under Section 153 of the Railway Act. The offence can fetch a non-bailable jail term of up to five years, depending on the gravity of the act.