Watch: Loco pilots fight for chance to drive new Udaipur-Agra Vande Bharat train

NEW DELHI: A viral video doing the rounds on social media showed a heated altercation between loco pilots at Rajasthan's Gangapur City Junction. The video, which TOI couldn't independently verify, shows an ugly confrontation between loco pilots from the Kota and Agra Railway Divisions, all vying for the chance to drive the newly-launched Vande Bharat Express train running from Udaipur to Agra train.
In the video shared by users on X, several loco pilots can be seen jostling and attempting to enter the train's cab. Three individuals climb through a small window and unlock the door from inside, after which the current loco pilot and assistant are forcibly removed from the cab and assaulted. Authorities are also seen trying to control the escalating situation.

"Loco pilots from three railways—Western-Central, North-Western, and Northern—are fighting over who gets to run the new Vande Bharat Express train between Agra and Udaipur. They are arguing every day because running this train could help them get promotions and pay raises" a user wrote on X.
As the viral video gained widespread attention, social media has erupted with few amused and with few questioning how something like this could happen.
On September 2, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the first Vande Bharat sleeper coach at Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) in Bangalore. This new sleeper train is designed for long-distance overnight travel, covering distances of 800 to 1,200 km.