Now Reading: Vande Bharat trial runs on Mangaluru ghat start August 11
-
01
Vande Bharat trial runs on Mangaluru ghat start August 11
RDSO will conduct trial runs of the Vande Bharat Express on the Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road ghat section from August 11 to 20, 2026. The 55-km stretch is technically demanding with 57 tunnels,…
The Story in Brief
RDSO will conduct trial runs of the Vande Bharat Express on the Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road ghat section from August 11 to 20, 2026. The 55-km stretch is technically demanding with 57 tunnels, 226 bridges and 108 sharp curves through the Western Ghats. A specially built 20-coach rake with an Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system is stationed at Pandavapura halt in Mandya district.
The trial is supervised by South Western Railway's Mysuru Division. Once completed, RDSO results will be reviewed by the Railway Board and the Commissioner of Railway Safety before commercial services can begin. Union Minister V Somanna had earlier promised the service by June 2026, but the launch was delayed because a rake with the AEB system was not available.
The Indian Opinion
The Railway Ministry's two-year delay in getting a Vande Bharat on this route is often blamed on bureaucratic sloth. But the 55-km ghat section with 57 tunnels and 226 bridges is genuinely unique. The mandatory AEB system, which automatically brakes the train above 30 kmph, is not a gimmick, it is a safety necessity. Watch whether the Railway Board and the Commissioner of Railway Safety clear commercial operations quickly after the trial results. That will tell us if the system works as promised or if more excuses follow.
Source: businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
