Major glitch halts Vande Bharat train near Sasaram, passengers face hardship for hours

Kumod Verma | TNN

Patna: Hundreds of passengers onboard the Varanasi–Ranchi Vande Bharat Express (20888) faced hours of hardship after the train developed a major technical snag between Shiv Sagar and Kumahu stations on the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU)–Sasaram section under East Central Railway late Friday evening.Railway sources said a fault in the brake system and the main locomotive brought the train to a halt. Despite efforts by engineers, the issue could not be fixed on the spot, leaving the train stranded for nearly four-and-a-half hours.Passengers alleged severe inconvenience, especially for senior citizens, women and children. With the train stationary for hours, onboard facilities came under strain. Washrooms turned unhygienic, while food and drinking water became a concern, they said.Sasaram GRP SHO Suman said a replacement locomotive reached around 10pm. It was attached to the train, which then resumed its journey to Ranchi.Ranchi-bound passengers criticised the delay, saying a premium service like Vande Bharat should ensure reliability and swift contingency response.DDU DRM could not be reached for comment. The Varanasi PRO declined to comment, saying maintenance of the train falls under Northern Railway, New Delhi.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over maintenance and reliability of premium trains, even as railways plans a future bullet train on the Varanasi–Patna–Howrah route.Railway authorities are likely to order a detailed inquiry into the failure and the prolonged disruption, a DDU official said.