KOCHI: Passengers had a harrowing time on Wednesday after the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat (20633) train developed a technical snag that left it stranded for more than three hours shortly after it left Shoranur railway station.
Sources said the train developed a system error and stopped after passing the Shoranur signal. The train was taken back to Shoranur railway station using a diesel engine and the technical snag fixed. It departed on its onward journey to Thiruvananthapuram around 8.50pm.
Eyewitnesses said tension prevailed briefly at the Shoranur station as the system failure made even opening the train’s doors impossible.
“The train was pulled into platform six of Shoranur station using a diesel engine and steps were taken to open its doors,” said a source.
A railway police officer said once the doors were opened, a few passengers disembarked and sought alternative modes of transport for the onward journey, while others stayed on board. The officer said though the AC engine was connected to the train, its departure was delayed further after the rear coach developed a snag.
The Palakkad Division spokesperson said reasons behind the system failure will be investigated once the train reaches Thiruvananthapuram.
‘Electrical component developed snag’
“Initial inspection at Shoranur found the train’s movement got arrested due to a problem with electrical components associated with the particular function. However, the rest of the train’s system, like air conditioning, were functioning,” the spokesperson said, adding that alternative arrangements were made for passengers who alighted the train, and the locomotive proceeded to Thiruvananthapuram with the rest.
“I had a medical emergency, so we preferred Vande Bharat in order to reach the destination at the earliest. Unfortunately, our entire plan went awry,” said Nisha, a passenger. She said while the officials said the issue has been resolved, she and others had doubts whether the train will face further delays.
Another passenger said despite the delays, they didn’t panic as the officials concerned kept them informed through announcements. “Such issues are predictable, machine errors and understandable,” he said.