Bengaluru: Despite railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier this month stating that Vande Bharat trains can now run on Bengaluru-Mangaluru route, technical hurdles are delaying the train’s clearance. The Research Designs and Safety Organisation (RDSO) is yet to clear operation of the self-propelling train in Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghats section.
The railway board sanctioned introduction of electric traction between Sakleshpur and Subhramanya Road broad-gauge section for both goods and passenger trains on Feb 23. However, Vande Bharat trains — designed differently compared to other trains — did not get the go-ahead from the regulatory body due to their braking system.According to South Western Railway, the terrain within the ghats is extremely complex, with no approach road to the track. It features 57 tunnels, 226 bridges and 108 sharp curves, and the railways took almost two years to electrify the stretch.Due to steep gradients (rise or fall of tracks), the 55-km stretch requires all trains to have an auto emergency brake (AEB). With this, the train’s speed is limited to 30km/h and brakes are automatically applied if it moves faster. Unlike other trains which run on external locomotives, the self-propelling Vande Bharat express rakes are not equipped with AEB systems. While SWR has approached RDSO for rolling out a scheme to provide AEBs for Vande Bharat trains, officials expect the process to take several months. “Once the scheme gets RDSO’s nod with the AEB feature, Vande Bharat trains can be run on this section,” according to a letter from the railway board accessed by TOI.Due to this complexity, SWR is considering a temporary alternative by attaching additional locomotives to cover the ghats section. “There is no other option; this is a practical solution. We do this in the case of any loco or traction failure to clear the section,” SWR’s chief public relations officer Manjunath Kanamadi said.However, rail experts and enthusiasts have criticised attaching additional locomotives to a futuristic train like Vande Bharat. “The railways should have planned and manufactured Vande Bharat rakes which are compatible with such steep ghat sections. The speciality of this train is its self-propelling system. Attaching and detaching locomotives itself will consume significant time for the railways,” said Kaushik R, a rail enthusiast from south Karnataka.
