Herd of buffaloes collides with Vande Bharat train, panels damaged

Officials said the train resumed its journey to Gandhinagar after an eight-minute halt and arrived there as per scheduled

Panels on the nose of the newly-inaugurated Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat express train’s engine were damaged and three buffaloes were killed when they collided with it between Vatva and Giratpur stations on Thursday. Officials said the train resumed its journey to Gandhinagar after an eight-minute halt and arrived there as per scheduled.

Vande Bharat express train suffered damages after a collision with a herd of buffaloes. (PTI)

“Three buffaloes that suddenly appeared on the tracks while the Vande Bharat train was heading towards Gandhinagar damaged the FRP [fibre-reinforced plastic] panels on the nose of the engine. These panels are lightweight [and] so got damaged...it did not impact the functioning of the train. The train left the spot after an eight-minute halt [for the removal of buffalo]... carcasses and continued on its journey,” said a western railway spokesperson.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday last flagged off the Vande Bharat express train at the Gandhinagar station and travelled on it to Ahmedabad. This is the third Vande Bharat train in the country. The other two run between New Delhi-Varanasi and New Delhi-Katra. The new Vande Bharat train runs six times a week.