Indian Railways' flagship semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains, known for their tall acclaim, for once fell short—quite literally. It was an operational blunder that turned into a source of embarrassment for the flagship train and its operator, the Indian Railways. The Sabarmati-Gurgaon Vande Bharat special (09401), operated by the Western Railway, ended up clocking the longest-ever journey for the premium train—nearly 1,400 kilometres in 28 hours—but for all the wrong reasons, reported Mumbai-based Mid-day.What was meant to be a smooth 15-hour ride on the 898 km Sabarmati-Ajmer-Jaipur-Gurgaon route turned into a test of patience after the train was stranded near Mehsana, barely an hour and about 60 kilometres into its run.The reason? A technical mismatch so basic it read like a joke.The Vande Bharat rake allotted to the ply on the Sabarmati-Ajmer-Jaipur-Gurgaon route lacked a high-reach pantograph, which was essential for the train to cruise on the section with high-rise overhead equipment (OHE) used on that route. Simply put, it was the wrong train on the wrong track with the overhead wire higher for it to reach.For seamless freight operations, some routes in the Western Railway zone have overhead transmission wires higher than normal. That's because they carry double-stack container trains, where extra vertical clearance is needed.The usual overhead wires sit around 5.5 metres above the rail, but for double-stack freight routes, the wires are lifted to 7.45 metres to accommodate double-stack freight rakes.Only trains or locomotives fitted with high-reach pantographs can draw power under such high wires. In the case of the Sabarmati–Gurgaon Vande Bharat, it fell short because it uses a push-pull train set like the EMUs and metro trains.A pantograph is the collapsable metal framework mounted on top of an electric train or locomotive that collects power from the overhead equipment (OHE) wire. It maintains constant contact with the wire through a spring or air pressure mechanism, drawing electricity that powers the train's traction motors to keep it moving.
A diagram of India's WAP-7 locomotive, showing the pantograph on top in contact with the overhead wire (OHE). (Image: Author/India Today)India Today Digital made repeated attempts to get a reaction from the PRO of Western Railways' Ahmedabad Division. The report will be updated as and when the PRO responds.With no way for the Vande Bharat to proceed on the planned route, railway officials were left scrambling.The train had to be diverted via Ahmedabad–Udaipur–Kota–Jaipur–Mathura, which was a long and winding detour that added hundreds of kilometres and countless sighs of frustration. An unplanned run of 28 hours followed, with the Vande Bharat Special crawling across western and northern India before reaching Gurgaon, hours late.A fascinating sight :Catch a glimpse of1.5 km long Double Stack Container Trains flagged off by Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji today greeting each other at New Shrimadhopur station of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor in Rajasthan. #PragatiKaRailCorridor pic.twitter.com/PjGeDA0CGG— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) January 7, 2021"This was a basic technical mismatch that should have been checked before deployment," a senior railway official told the Mid-day, admitting the blunder. "Running a Vande Bharat on a high-rise OHE section without a high-reach pantograph was never possible."Ironically, the diversion definitely ended up creating a record. No Vande Bharat train has ever covered such a long distance in one go. But behind the "record-breaking" run is the story of lack of oversight and chaos.For passengers who expected speed and comfort, it would have become a lesson in endurance. For Indian Railways, this incident is a reminder that even the most modern train can be tripped up by the oldest problem in the book—poor planning.
