Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat delayed by over six hours, leaving Onam travellers stranded
A Vande Bharat Express delay of over six hours due to a technical snag disrupted hundreds of passengers' Onam travel plans, highlighting the need for a second rake on the popular route.
A Vande Bharat Express delay of over six hours due to a technical snag disrupted hundreds of passengers' Onam travel plans, highlighting the need for a second rake on the popular route.
A Vande Bharat Express delay of over six hours due to a technical snag disrupted hundreds of passengers' Onam travel plans, highlighting the need for a second rake on the popular route.
Onam travel plans of hundreds of passengers were thrown into disarray after the Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express was delayed by over six and a half hours. The premium train, originally scheduled to depart from KSR Bengaluru (Majestic) station at 5:10 am, finally rolled out only at 11:45 am, turning the festive journey into an exhausting ordeal for families eager to reach home in Kerala.
South Western Railway Bengaluru Division officials attributed the extensive delay to a technical snag in the locomotive engine. This late departure meant the train arrived in Ernakulam well after 8:00 pm, cascading the disruption into the return service, which was held up until 8:30 pm. Railway authorities announced that the next day's departure from Bengaluru would be rescheduled to 8:00 am to absorb the impact of the delays.
Passenger protests and lack of communication
The situation at the station became highly tense as the initial announcement only predicted a one-hour delay. As hours passed with no further official updates, frustrated passengers staged protests. Complimentary breakfast was finally served to those waiting at Majestic nearly three hours into the delay, while passengers waiting further down at the KR Puram station were reportedly left without any food or timely updates altogether.
Growing calls for a second rake
This major disruption has reignited the urgent demand for a second rake on this highly popular route. Currently, the service operates on a single rake that runs back and forth between the two cities. Travel groups and commuters point out that having two dedicated rakes would allow simultaneous departures from both Bengaluru and Ernakulam, mitigating cascading delays during technical emergencies or peak seasons.
This incident is not isolated, as the Vande Bharat service suffered a series of consecutive delays in June, which railway officials then blamed on track doubling works at Whitefield. Despite the train's capacity being doubled from 8 to 16 coaches on 17 Aug 2024 to accommodate 1,128 passengers instead of the earlier 530, operational reliability remains a critical concern for frequent commuters on this busy interstate corridor.