India's fastest train, Vande Bharat Express, broke down this morning, a day after it was launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. Train 18, also known as the engine-less train, was returning from Varanasi after its inaugural run and broke down about 200 km from the capital.
However, it resumed its journey around 8.15 am, after being at a halt for almost three hours, railways said.
Now the train cannot be driven above 40 km per hour and it will have to be taken to Delhi to fix the fault. The Railway Ministry has attributed the disruption to a possible cattle run over.
After the train broke down, people on board were shifted to another train. The train is expected to start its commercial run tomorrow.
Power also went out in some coaches on the train at around 5 am. Before coming to a halt at Chamrola station, the Vande Bharat Express had slowed down to a sluggish speed of 10 km per hour.
There was even a foul smell and mild smoke which was due to an internal system failure. According to a train staff, due to a deposit in the wheels, the braking system was jammed. It was called a "mechanical fault in the braking system."
The staff added, “The train made thumping noises when the speed was increased. The fault has led to the control failures of the air-conditioners.”
The indigenously-built "semi-high speed" train with a top speed of 180 km per hour, had touched speeds of 130 km per on hour, on its inaugural run yesterday. In its three trial runs, it had covered a distance of 7000 km.
Train 18 is manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai and had all safety clearances, trials and tests in place.
