A coach of the Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express derailed while entering Pune station at around 7:15 PM on Monday, blocking the main line between Mumbai and Pune. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Passengers Stranded
One passenger on the Vande Bharat train reported that they had to remain seated for over 90 minutes before being instructed to disembark. Afterward, travelers had to walk along the tracks for approximately 600 meters with their heavy luggage to reach the platforms.
This marks the first derailment of a Vande Bharat train coach, according to a railway official from Delhi.
Cause of Derailment
The official stated that the derailment occurred due to non-standard diamond crossings at the Pune yard. A diamond crossing is a railway intersection where two tracks cross each other at an angle, forming a diamond shape that allows trains to pass from multiple directions.
Hemant Kumar Behera, Divisional Commercial Manager and PRO of Pune railway division, confirmed that part of the C-15 coach of the CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat Express (22225) derailed. He explained that the train's engine had just entered platform number 3 when the coach derailed. The train had food supplies, but passengers were taken to platforms 2 and 3. Restoration work is ongoing.
Impact on Train Services
Another official mentioned that one line from Pune to Mumbai is operational, but eight to nine trains are running late on the route, with potential for further delays. Central Railway's Chief PRO Swapnil Nila stated that the diamond crossing will be replaced on priority, and similar non-standard diamond crossings are being replaced across Indian Railways.
Passengers are advised to check for real-time updates on train schedules.
