Vande Bharat Express Faces Major Delay Due to Technical Power Glitch
The Bengaluru–Dharwad Vande Bharat Express, operating as train number 20661, experienced a significant disruption on Friday when it was detained at the Gudageri level crossing gate. The incident was caused by technical glitches in the power supply system, resulting in a substantial 56-minute delay in reaching Hubballi station.
Passenger Accounts and Staff Response
Passengers aboard the premium train reported that the Vande Bharat Express halted at Gudgeri for over thirty minutes. Railway staff promptly informed travelers that the stoppage was due to power-supply issues affecting the train's operations. "The technical team worked efficiently to rectify the glitches, and our train eventually arrived in Hubballi at 11.56am, against its scheduled arrival time of 11am," stated passengers, highlighting the extended delay.
Impact on Rail and Road Traffic
The technical malfunction had a cascading effect on transportation in the area. A freight train was also detained at Gudgeri following the same power-supply glitch. Furthermore, since the Vande Bharat Express halted directly at the level crossing, road traffic was completely blocked for approximately 45 minutes. This obstruction forced numerous road users, including school and college students commuting to their institutions, to wait patiently until clearance was granted.
Official Timeline from South Western Railway
Sources within the South Western Railway (SWR) provided a detailed timeline of the incident. The Vande Bharat Express had departed from Bengaluru city station at 5.49am, already running four minutes behind schedule. It maintained a minor delay of eight minutes until reaching Haveri station. "Due to the unforeseen technical glitches, the train arrived in Hubballi with a 56-minute delay. It then proceeded to its final destination, Dharwad, arriving at 12.23pm with a reduced delay of 23 minutes. However, the service managed to restart from Dharwad at its originally scheduled time of 1.30pm," the SWR sources confirmed, noting the recovery in the latter part of the journey.
The incident underscores the vulnerabilities in power supply systems that can affect high-speed train services like the Vande Bharat Express, leading to considerable inconvenience for passengers and disrupting local traffic flow.
