Udaipur, January 4, 2025 - On Friday, January 3, 2025, the Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express collided with a stray cattle near Railway Underbridge, just before Gulabpura station in Bhilwara district. The collision resulted in the death of the animal.

Following the incident, the train remained stationary on the track for about 20 minutes, causing inconvenience to passengers. There was no damage reported to the train or any injuries to passengers. Personnel from the Government Railway Police (GRP), Gulabpura police, and staff from the animal hospital promptly arrived at the scene to remove the deceased animal from the track.

Train Schedule and Delays

The train had departed from Udaipur as scheduled at 7:50 AM. Due to the delay caused by the accident, it reached the next station, Vijaynagar, at 11:19 AM, 16 minutes behind the scheduled arrival of 11:03 AM. Despite this setback, the train managed to make up time and arrived at its final destination, Jaipur, at 2:02 PM, eight minutes earlier than the scheduled time of 2:10 PM.

Recurring Issue

It is noteworthy that this train has previously encountered similar incidents involving cattle collisions. In October 2023, a major accident was averted when the loco pilot of the Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express applied emergency brakes after spotting stones and iron rods placed on the tracks between Gangrar and Soniana stations in Bhilwara. 

Safety Measures

In response to recurring cattle-related incidents, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has previously issued notices to village heads along certain routes, urging them to prevent stray animals from accessing railway tracks. 

While no passengers were harmed in this recent incident, the recurrence of such events underscores the need for continued vigilance and preventive measures to ensure the safety and punctuality of train services.

Source: Media Reports