Not so fast: Infrastructure woes slow down Vande Bharat trains

Besides cattle run-overs, fencing and track quality reasons for trains moving at an average 83 kmph

It was on February 15, 2019, that India saw the birth of its first semi-high speed train capable of clocking speeds of up to 160-200 kilometres per hour (kmph). When the latest Vande Bharat train between Chennai and Mysuru was launched, the average speed was seen as low as 75-78 kmph, compared with an average speed of 95 kmph for the first train between New Delhi and Varanasi.

While some blame the reduced speed to recent incidents of cattle run-overs, experts and the Indian Railways indicate that several issues, including infrastructure, fencing, and track quality, are reasons for the average speed of all Vande Bharat trains coming down to as low as 83 kmph. At present, there are five sets of operational Vande Bharat trains.

The Railways denied cattle run-overs for the decreasing average speeds of the Vande Bharat Express. However, the standard advisory issued by the national transporter’s civil engineering division days before the trainset was launched suggests there is continued hesitance in operating these trains at maximum possible speeds due to cattle crossings.

“Since the leading coach of the Vande Bharat trainset is much lighter than a locomotive, chances of hitting any obstruction or cattle run-over may lead to serious accidents at higher speeds,” read the advisory, issued in September by the Railway Board.

The Railways told Business Standard that long-term engineering measures are planned to increase maximum permissible speed (MPS) on the Chennai route to 130 kmph, including elimination of curves and the overhaul of track systems. 

“As of now, the MPS on the Mysuru-Bengaluru section is 100 kmph; on Bengaluru-Chennai, 110 kmph. Bengaluru is 900 metres (m) high from the mean sea level, whereas Chennai is at sea level. The topography is, therefore, full of curves and undulations, warranting the imposition of certain speed restrictions right now,” said a Railways official. 

The board asked stakeholders to ensure there are no level crossings on routes where the Vande Bharat trains travel at speeds higher than 110 kmph. It has also instructed them to identify regular trespassing locations and take corrective measures to ensure the semi-high speed train is not slowed down due to cattle risks.

According to Sudhanshu Mani, former general manager of Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory, Vande Bharat is almost a clone of the Shatabdi now starting 10 minutes before it from Chennai and reaching 20 minutes ahead of it in Bengaluru.

“ The train was designed for 160 kmph operation. Since tracks do not exist for that speed range, it is also good to save travel time for lower speed operation like 130 kmph too due ot its faster and acceleration and deceleration. That was demonstrated in the train between New Delhi to Varanasi. Now with the claims of even higher acceleration, The train should reduce the time taken, compared to the fastest train in the route, by 10-15 per cent. It is disappointing that it is not happening in the latest Vande Bharat and in some other routes as well," said Mani.

The Railways official said the average speed of the Vande Bharat on the Chennai-Mysuru route is 77.5 kmph; on Mysuru-Chennai, 78.5 kmph.

“From Chennai to Mysuru, the Vande Bharat takes 390 minutes (6.5 hours), while the Shatabdi takes 420 minutes (7 hours). On the return trip, Vande Bharat takes 385 minutes (6.41 hours) and the Shatabdi takes 435 minutes (7.25 hours). This Vande Bharat is faster than the Shatabdi and other premium trains in the segment,” informed a Railways source.

According to the data shared by RailYatri, which started as an application-based train travel guide in 2014 and evolved into a multi-modal transportation platform, the average delay time of all the eight Vande Bharat trains in October was around 10.66 minutes. It stated that the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Central train (20902) is the most delayed among Vande Bharat trains, for which the average delay time is 29 minutes.