In the second such incident in two days, the newly-inaugurated Vande Bharat Express 2.0, launched by PM Modi on September 30th, hit a cow near Anand in Gujarat while on its way to Mumbai on Friday.
The incident took place at 3.49 pm between Kanjari and Anand stations, about 433 km from Mumbai, said Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western Railway. He said all passengers were safe.
The train resumed its journey within ten minutes of halting, said senior PRO Pradeep Sharma.
The FIR was filed under section 147 of the Railways Act, 1989, which deals with unauthorised entry into any part of a railway and misuse of its property, said RPF inspector Pradeep Sharma, posted at Vatva railway station.
There is no damage to the train, except a minor dent on the Nose Cone Cover of the front coach i.e Driver Coach. The train is running smoothly. The railways said that this will be attended at the earliest.
In another incident on October 6, the engine of the newly launched Vande Bharat Express, which was on its way to Gandhinagar in Gujarat from Mumbai, was damaged after the train hit four buffaloes that strayed onto the railway tracks between Vatva and Maninagar stations at 11.15 am. There was no disruption to rail traffic, according to railway authorities.
The impact killed two-three buffaloes and delayed the train by about half an hour to reach the Gandhinagar railway station, said Jitendra Jayant, senior public relations officer PRO Western Railway, Ahmedabad division.
In the Vande Bharat clash, two-three buffaloes have died. The train was delayed by half an hour to reach Gandhinagar railway station, Jayant said. An FIR has also been filed in this incident.
The railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, speaking at an event in Anand on Friday, said that collisions with cattle on the tracks were unavoidable. He said that the train, which can reach a top speed of 160 kmph, was designed with the possibility in mind.