NEW DELHI: A major accident was averted after an empty Vande Bharat train travelled nearly 463 km with its coaches’ braking systems allegedly non-functional, despite repeated warnings from loco pilots. The incident, which took place in October, has prompted the South Eastern Railway (SER) zone to order a probe into multiple safety lapses that could have endangered railway operations.The incident occurred on October 24, when an empty Vande Bharat chair car rake was being transported from Hatia in Jharkhand to Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh using a freight locomotive. According to PTI, railway staff failed to properly integrate the train’s braking system with the locomotive and ignored warnings from the crew before allowing it to continue its journey.The incident came days before the Kolkata-Sairang Express derailment in Assam on November 11, which also raised concerns over alleged negligence in railway operations.In an order dated November 7, the SER zone directed the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Ranchi to investigate the incident and identify those responsible.According to the order, the loco pilot conducted a brake power test after departing from Hatia and found that the braking performance was extremely poor. He submitted a written complaint to railway officials upon reaching Ranchi, but the train was allowed to proceed.Another loco pilot operating the rake from Muri station also alerted the concerned controllers, reporting that the brakes could not be applied by dropping the brake pipe (BP) pressure.
It was only when the train reached Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) station in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district that officials inspected the rake. They found that the braking systems of all coaches had been isolated, rendering them ineffective.The preliminary probe identified alleged negligence by coach and wagon maintenance staff, section and traction controllers, as well as the train crew. It noted that maintenance staff had failed to physically verify the brakes before departure, while the crew’s unfamiliarity with the Vande Bharat’s braking system also contributed to the lapse.