Train No. 13, which operates the route between Havana and Guantánamo, was the target of a vandalism act on October 8, when one of its windows was struck by a stone in the segment between the municipalities of Mella and Baraguá, in Santiago de Cuba.
Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, Minister of Transport, reported on Facebook that the incident caused panic among passengers, but the situation was brought under control thanks to the intervention of the authorities on board, including police officers.
Beatriz Rueda Wilson, the train attendant traveling in the affected carriage, described the attack as “despicable” and noted that fear overtook the passengers, but they quickly regained their composure.
However, this is not the first incident of this kind. Orgiel Pérez Milanés, director of the National Routes Company in Havana, recalled a case that occurred two years ago when a girl was injured by a stone thrown at another train heading to Santiago de Cuba.
Although the young girl received timely medical attention, Pérez emphasized that beyond the cost of the repairs, these acts severely impact the community, as disabling a car means leaving 72 people without the ability to travel, many of whom have urgent health or family needs.
The official also mentioned that for these cases, there is an established protocol: the train conductor must immediately inform the nearest railway station, while the police officers accompanying the train contact their command post.
From that moment on, an operation is launched at the site of the incident, with police and other agencies responsible for carrying out the investigation arriving at the scene.
The Minister of Transport emphasized the need to be unyielding in the face of such situations: "Behind that window often travels innocence: children, the elderly, the sick, lovers, people who care for their families and are going somewhere to embrace them or are coming back from such a moment."
Recently, train number 17, which operates on the Havana - Bayamo route, was attacked with stones, causing damage to the windows of seats 1 and 2 in car number two.
The National Passenger Trains Company announced on Facebook that the incident occurred at the exit of the Jobabo station, at kilometer 45 in Las Tunas.
In May, the national train from Havana to Holguín was stoned while passing through the city of Santa Clara in the early morning hours, causing damage to the window of a passenger car.
The Cuban Railway Union announced on Facebook that at 1:00 AM, at kilometer 277.500 of the central line, near a sawmill, an incident occurred that caused damage to one of the windows of a passenger car.
Not only trains are subject to vandalism. In April, several buses in Havana were stoned while following their regular routes.
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