Empty Vande Bharat travels 463 km with faulty brakes in October
The South Eastern Railway has ordered a probe after an empty train moved from Jharkhand to Uttar Pradesh despite crew warnings.
An empty Vande Bharat chair car rake travelled 463 km from Hatia in Jharkhand to Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh on October 24 with an allegedly ineffective braking system. The South Eastern Railway (SER) zone has ordered an investigation into the incident, which it noted could have caused a major accident and endangered lives.
The train was being moved by a freight locomotive, and its braking system was meant to be integrated with that of the goods engine. However, railway staff allegedly failed to ensure this integration and ignored warnings from the crew.
According to reports from The Times of India and Deccan Herald, a loco pilot conducted a brake power test after departing Hatia and found the performance to be very poor. Although the pilot submitted a written complaint at Ranchi station, the train was permitted to continue the journey.
A second loco pilot operating the rake from Muri station also alerted controllers that brakes could not be applied by dropping the brake pipe pressure. It was only when the train reached Deen Dayal Upadhyaya station in Chandauli district, Uttar Pradesh, that officials inspected the rake and found the braking systems of all coaches had been isolated.
A preliminary probe identified alleged negligence by the train crew, section and traction controllers, and coach and wagon maintenance staff. The investigation noted that maintenance staff did not physically verify the brakes before departure and that the crew was unfamiliar with the Vande Bharat braking system.
In an order dated November 7, the SER zone directed the Divisional Railway Manager of Ranchi to investigate the matter and identify those responsible.