Passengers Disappointed as Vande Bharat Cancels Services Twice in Succession
The Sabarmati–Gurgaon Vande Bharat trains were cancelled twice due to unsuitable trainsets.
Two one-way superfast special Vande Bharat trains, scheduled to operate between Sabarmati in Gujarat and Gurgaon in Haryana on October 5 and 6, were cancelled due to incompatible trainsets for the designated routes. The services, managed by the Ahmedabad Division of Western Railway, were intended to provide additional connectivity amid rising demand on the busy Delhi-Mumbai corridor but failed to depart as planned. This marks an early setback for the semi-high-speed Vande Bharat network, which has been expanding rapidly to enhance passenger experience with air-conditioned coaches and onboard amenities.
The trains, numbered 09083 (outbound from Sabarmati) and 09084 (return from Gurgaon), were notified as special runs to accommodate weekend travel surges, covering approximately 1,100 kilometers in under 12 hours at speeds up to 160 kmph. However, railway officials confirmed the cancellations stemmed from the allocated trainsets not matching the technical specifications of the "notified path," including track gauges, signaling systems, and electrification compatibility along the route. No alternative trainsets were available at short notice, leading to the abrupt scrapping of both legs without prior public alerts beyond standard notifications.
Western Railway's Ahmedabad Division, responsible for over 400 trains daily, has been at the forefront of Vande Bharat rollouts since the model's introduction in 2019. The service's cancellation highlights ongoing challenges in fleet interoperability, as Vande Bharat trainsets are primarily optimized for broad-gauge, overhead-electrified lines but require precise matching for special paths involving mixed traffic zones. Passengers, numbering in the hundreds per train based on preliminary bookings, were rerouted to regular express services like the Rajdhani or Shatabdi, with full refunds processed via the IRCTC portal. The incident echoes similar disruptions earlier this year, when a Vande Bharat rake faced delays due to pantograph issues on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch.
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Railway authorities have initiated a review to prevent future mismatches, emphasizing fleet standardization across zones. As India's rail network pushes toward 100 Vande Bharat trains by 2025 under the Amrit Bharat initiative, such operational hiccups underscore the need for robust contingency planning. Western Railway spokesperson Amit Bhagat stated, "We regret the inconvenience and are working to ensure seamless services ahead." Travelers are advised to check the NTES app for real-time updates on similar specials.
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