Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jun 2: The long-awaited dream of the people of Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka has faced a temporary setback as the South Western Railway has cancelled the highly anticipated trial run of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express, scheduled for June 3, at the last minute. This sudden cancellation has severely disappointed railway enthusiasts and residents of Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi districts.
Just last Saturday, information had surfaced that senior railway officials had prepared an official proposal for the Vande Bharat train service. The news of the trial run had brought immense joy to regular commuters traveling between the coastal region and the state capital. However, the abrupt suspension of the run has now created confusion among the public.
The trial run was scheduled to evaluate the performance of the Vande Bharat train through the steep and challenging railway tracks of the Shiradi Ghat (Subrahmanya Road-Sakleshpur) section. Although the railway department has not disclosed any official reason for the cancellation, sources suggest two major technical reasons.
Lack of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system
An Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system is strictly mandatory for the safe operation of trains navigating the tough terrain and steep gradients of the Western Ghats. The primary reason for the cancellation is reportedly the absence of this advanced braking system in the currently assigned Vande Bharat rake.
Rake availability and operational challenges
Furthermore, a shortage of suitable railway rakes (sets of coaches) and other operational and technical challenges are said to have influenced this decision.
The Vande Bharat service, which aims to connect Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka in a much shorter duration, is expected to be a boon for commerce, tourism, and daily commuters in both regions. Therefore, the project has not been completely scrapped but merely postponed temporarily.
The Indian Railways is expected to announce a revised date for the trial run once the necessary safety evaluations are completed. Currently, residents of Mangaluru and surrounding areas are eagerly waiting for the technical glitches to be resolved quickly and for a new announcement from the railway authorities.