Bloggers’ intrusion a challenge for Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express
Since the launch of the train on July 9, ₹500 each has been recovered in fines from 15 reel makers; penalty imposed under sections 151 and 138 of the Railways Act, 1989
LUCKNOW The Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express, which was flagged off last month, is facing an unexpected challenge at the Charbagh station in the state capital with bloggers allegedly thronging the coaches to make reels without prior permission.
The state-of-the-art train, known for its speed, has become a centre of attraction for content creators, but their activities are creating problems. To deal with the situation, the Railways has started issuing challans to the violators entering the station without platform tickets and tampering with coaches.
Since the launch of the train on July 9, ₹500 each has been recovered in fines from 15 YouTubers and reel makers. The fines were imposed under sections 151 (damage or destruction of railway property) and 138 travelling or found without ticket on platform or train) of the Railways Act, 1989, said sources.
The Railways administration has urged content creators for cooperation in ensuring a smooth and disruption-free experience for all passengers.
On July 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged off the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express. The commercial run of the train began on July 9. During the launch, a crowd of bloggers made it difficult for other passengers to sit in the train.
The morning train departs from Gorakhpur and arrives at Lucknow’s Charbagh railway station around 10am. It halts for around nine hours before embarking upon its journey back to Gorakhpur at 7pm.
“RPF personnel work during the day to ensure the safety of the train. However, bloggers throng the platform and coaches in the daytime to make reels. They post the clips on social media, outlining various aspects of the train. But they do this without permission,” said a railway official at Charbagh station.
“When security personnel stop them, they make videos of them and upload these clips as well,” he added.
“In such a situation, the Charbagh railway administration has started issuing challans to such people. They are being fined for coming to the station without a platform ticket. So far, ₹500 each has been recovered from 15 people,” said GRP cops at Charbagh station.
Apart from its tampering, the train has seen stone pelting at least thrice since July 7, when the train was flagged off by the PM from Gorakhpur.
“People should understand that these coaches, which are damaged, are sent for maintenance which further hampers the entire cycle of the train,” said Rekha Sharma, senior divisional commercial manager.