News Desk |
India’s newly inaugurated fastest semi-high speed train named ‘Vande Bharat’ broke down on its first trip. The train was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was due to start its commercial operation on Sunday.
The train service was launched to commute passengers from New Delhi to Varanasi. The Vande Bharat Express was expected to reduce the travel time by six hours between the two destinations.
The train set off on its first journey carrying mostly railway officials and journalists. On the way back to New Delhi the train brakes in the carriage jammed. The train broke down 200 miles away from New Delhi.
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Indian media quoted a railways spokesperson as saying the train may have struck cattle on the line. The train reached a speed of 180km/hr (110mph) during trials.
Soon after the brake failed the driver noticed smoke in the last four coaches and eventually the power was lost in all compartments. Those on board had to take another train to reach back to New Delhi. The train had to be brought back to New Delhi to be fixed.
People on board claimed that they heard thumping noise whenever the speed of the train was increased and that the fault had led to the control failures of the air-conditioners.
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The Indian media seems to have rejected the claims of the Indian minister that the train had hit the cow. The news channels have reported that there seem to be no signs of damage on the front of the train after hitting the cow.
The Vande Bharat Express is the train without engine and can travel up to the maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour.
On Friday the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that he was encouraged to order 100 more trains after receiving positive feedback.
