Herd of buffaloes intrudes into Vande Bharat track, damages its metal nose  

AHMEDABAD:  It was speed versus an Indian reality: Less than a week after the semi-high-speed train Vande Bharat was flagged off by PM Modi, it met with an accident on Thursday after a herd of buffaloes came on its way Thursday morning. The train’s front metal nose was damaged, railway sources said. The Vande Bharat Express runs between Mumbai Central and Gandhinagar.

The accident occurred around 11.15 am between Vatva station and Maninagar in Gujarat. Western Railway spokesperson JK Jayant said “A herd of buffaloes came on the railway line around 11.15 am between Vatva station to Maninagar. The accident damaged the front part of the engine, no functional part was damaged in the incident.” No casualty was reported, he added.

Jayant said engineers repaired the damaged part immediately, and the train moved just after removing the carcasses. “Ït reached on time at Gandhinagar. The railways will counsel nearby villagers not to leave the cattle near the rail track,” he said.

PM Modi flagged off the semi-high-speed train on Sept 30, and traveled by it from Gandhinagar to Kalupur railway station in Ahmedabad. The Vande Bharat Express 2.0 will provide passengers with aircraft-like services and safety features, including an anti-collision ‘Kavach’ protection. Head-on collisions between trains can now be prevented. 

According to a statement issued by the Gujarat CM’s office said the train has Level-II Safety Integration Certification for better train control management, four platform-side cameras, aspiration-based fire detection and suppression system in all coaches, besides aerosol-based fire detection in electrical cubicles and washrooms. 

Semi-high-speed train flagged off on Sept 30
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the semi-high-speed train on September 30, and traveled by 
it from Gandhinagar to Kalupur railway station in Ahmedabad. Vande Bharat Express runs between Mumbai Central and Gandhinagar.