Railway Board reduces speed of Vande Bharat, Gatiman Express trains to 130 kmph

New Delhi: he Indian Railways plans to reduce the speed of premium trains such as Vande Bharat and Gatiman Express on specific routes from 160 kmph to 130 kmph to enhance safety.

As reported by The Hindu citing sources, the North Central Railway has formally requested the Railway Board to implement this speed reduction for Train No 12050/12049 (Delhi-Jhansi-Delhi) Gatiman Express, Train No 22470/22469 (Delhi-Khajuraho-Delhi) Vande Bharat Express, Train No 20172/20171 (Delhi-Rani Kamalapati-Delhi) Vande Bharat Express, and Train No 12002/12001 (Delhi-Rani Kamalapati-Delhi) Shatabdi Express.

As per the proposal to enhance safety, the speed of Gatiman and Vande Bharat Express trains will be decreased from 160 kmph to 130 kmph, and the speed of Shatabdi Express will be reduced from 150 kmph to 130 kmph.

The report noted that this adjustment in speed will lead to an extended travel time of approximately 25-30 minutes for these trains.

Despite the Northern Railway’s proposal to either eliminate TPWS or lower train speeds to 130 kmph, which had been under consideration by the Railway Board since November 6, 2023, the North Central Railway introduced a new proposal on June 25, 2024, to reduce train speeds to 130 kmph.

As repair or maintenance of TPWS was not possible, according to a report of the Divisional Railway Manager, the Railway Board was requested to downgrade the premium trains to be operated “at a much safer speed of 130 kmph”, the sources said.

It is reliably learnt that Railway Board will likely approve the proposal to reduce the speed of premium trains, as two zonal railways have formally requested this change citing safety concerns. This adjustment will necessitate revising the speed or schedules of approximately 8-10 other trains. It is expected that the running times of these trains will also be adjusted to maintain operational efficiency alongside the premium trains.

Over the past two years, concerns over the safety of train operations have intensified following several tragic accidents resulting in multiple casualties. Key incidents include the severe collision involving three trains, including the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express in Odisha’s Kharagpur Division on June 2, 2023. On October 11, 2023, train number 12506 Anand Vihar Terminal-Kamakhya Junction North East Express derailed near Raghunathpur Railway Station in Buxar district of Bihar. A rear-end collision of two passenger trains in Andhra Pradesh’s Waltair Division on October 29, 2023. The recent Kanchanjunga Express accident in West Bengal’s Katihar Division on June 17, 2024. These incidents were reportedly attributed to signal failures and alleged negligence on the part of locomotive pilots and other personnel.