Passengers ransack Bihar railway station, stone Rajdhani Express; two injured

Furious passengers of Howrah-Gaya Express ransacked Manpur railway station in Bihar’s Gaya district and pelted stones at the Sealdah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express late on Monday night after their train was halted at the station for an abnormally long time.

Railway officials said passengers of the Gaya-bound train were furious as it was halted at Manpur owing to a major traffic block on the Wazirganj-Tilaya section of East Central Railway (ECR). They damaged railway property and targeted the Rajdhani Express that was crossing the station at around 10.43pm, the officials said.

At least two passengers were injured and window panes of eight coaches — B9 to B13, H1 and a pantry car — damaged in the stone pelting.

After a two-minute emergency stoppage at Manpur, the Rajdhani Express left for Gaya station, about 4 km away, where the broken windowpanes were replaced. The train left Gaya for its onward journey at 11.48 pm.

Though the damage at Manpur station was being assessed, some ECR officials said it could be more than ₹10 lakh.

ECR general manager LC Trivedi said officials were scanning CCTV footage and action would be taken against people found involved in damaging railway property.

Trivedi said in order to prevent such an incident, the ECR had identified 15 vulnerable spots. The number of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at these places had been increased, he said, adding that services of home guards were also being requisitioned to meet any shortfall.