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Day After PM Modi Flagged It Off, Vande Bharat Express Breaks Down

Vande Bharat Express broke down 15 km away from Tundla junction in Uttar Pradesh.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off Vande Bharat Express, India’s first semi-high speed train, at New Delhi Railway Station. (PIB Photo via PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off Vande Bharat Express, India’s first semi-high speed train, at New Delhi Railway Station. (PIB Photo via PTI)

A day after its inauguration, India’s first semi-high speed train, Vande Bharat Express (also known as Train 18) broke down on Saturday, 16 February, The Indian Express reported.

According to the newspaper report, Vande Bharat express was being brought to Delhi from Varanasi but began making a suspicious sound as the wheels of the train skid and the breaks jammed in one of the trailing coaches.

Soon after this, the electricity in four coaches went off – forcing loco pilots to halt the train nearly 15 km away from Tundla junction in Uttar Pradesh.

“Vande Bharat Express was standing 15 km away from Tundla since 6:30 am. There seems to be disruption due to a possible cattle run over,” an official told ANI.

Officials have rushed to the spot to figure out the next course of action. It is likely that Vande Bharat Express will be taken to the nearest maintenance station.

The train is not yet opened for commercial run.

Modi Flags off Vande Bharat Express

On Friday, 15 February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off the Vande Bharat Express, from the New Delhi railway station to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.

Officials addressing the media said the train attained a maximum speed of 130 kmph during its inaugural run.

On the same day, Goyal had also announced that the government is planning roll out at least 30 more trains in the first stage. “The government also aims at rolling out as many as 100 more Train-18s as soon as possible,” he said.

(With inputs from ANI and The Indian Express)