Vande Bharat train accident: Surgical team fixes high-speed train's nose within hours after damage | Check new pictures, revised schedule

Vande Bharat train accident: The front part of the Vande Bharat Express train running between Mumbai Central to Gujarat's Gandhinagar which was was damaged in the accident on Thursday has been repaired at the coaching care centre in Mumba Central.

The accident took place between Vatva station and Maninagar in Gujarat after 3-4 Buffaloes suddenly came on the railway track which damaged the nose of the train. No functional part was damaged in the accident. 

A railway spokesperson said the front part of the engine was damaged in the accident. "Three-four buffaloes suddenly came on the way of Mumbai-Gandhinagar VB (Vande Bharat), damaging the nose made up of FRP (fiber reinforced plastic).

No passenger was injured in the incident that occurred around 11.15 am near Ahmedabad when the train was on its way to Gandhinagar and it reached the final destination four minutes early. 

Railway authorities were trying to counsel nearby villagers not to leave their cattle near the track, railway authorities said.

The driver of the train was fully alert. He immediately blew the train’s whistle and also applied brakes, but the reaction time was less. 
The CPRO said WR is going to undertake fencing work on the Gandhinagar-Ahmedabad section to increase the speed of the train to 160 kmph and avoid such incidents in the future.

The fencing work is likely to be completed by March 2024. Another official said three buffaloes died in the incident.

The indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high speed train, the third service under the Vande Bharat series, was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 30 from Gandhinagar Capital and its started the commercial run from the next day.

Vande Bharat Express trains already run on Delhi-Varanasi and Delhi-Katra routes.

Revised schedule

From Wednesday (October 5), WR revised the train’s timetable and reduced travelling time by 5 minutes between Mumbai Central and Gandhinagar Capital and by 20 minutes between Gandhinagar Capital and Mumbai Central.

The indigenously designed trainset (Train-18) has undergone a lot of upgradation in its Vande Bharat 2.0 version.

In the new version, rotating seats in executive chair car coaches, automatic sliding doors, improved communication between guard and loco pilots, aeroplane-like vacuum toilets, improved interiors and reclining seats are some of the major upgrades. 

(With Inputs from agencies)