Vande Bharat Express Takes Wrong Route: Meant for Goa, Ends Up in Kalyan; Here's How

In a shocking turn of events, the Vande Bharat Express from CSMT in Mumbai to Madgaon, Goa, missed its route and headed straight for Kalyan instead of Panvel. The train, which was supposed to take the route that Diva-Panvel takes for Konkan-bound services, accidentally took a route towards Kalyan after a signal fault. As a result, it became 90 minutes late to the destination.

What Happened?

According to railway officials, the train left Diva station at 6:10 AM and mistakenly turned towards Kalyan. Realizing their mistake, authorities directed the train to Kalyan station, where it halted briefly before returning to Diva. The train then continued its journey towards Goa. The diversion and return resulted in a delay; the train was detained at Diva Junction for nearly 35 minutes.

Cause of the Incident

According to the Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, Swapnil Neela, the error occurred due to a technical fault in the signaling and telecommunication system at point number 103 near Diva Junction. Generally, the automated signaling system is known to be reliable; however, on this particular day, the system malfunctioned, and there was a mix-up.

Impact and Response

The detour, although unexpected, caused a delay to the Vande Bharat Express and disrupted the local train services in Mumbai. Officials, however, clarified that such incidents are very rare because of the robust nature of the suburban signaling system.

The Vande Bharat Express, which was introduced on this route in June 2023, leaves CSMT at 5:25 AM and reaches Madgaon at 1:10 PM on the same day. This incident raises questions about ensuring even greater vigilance in monitoring automated systems to prevent such rare disruptions in the future.