Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express cancelled on May 22 for repairs

The Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express was cancelled on Monday (May 22) as the rake will undergo urgent repairs for damages caused by tree branches falling on the running train during a storm on the previous day.

According to officials, the new ICF rake suffered dents on the facia, damage to a pantograph and cracks in the windshield during a thunderstorm near Baitarani Road railway station in Odisha’s Jajpur district on Sunday evening.

The South Eastern Railway (SER), in a statement, said, “22895/22896 Howrah-Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express will remain cancelled for repairs of damages caused by thunderstorm on May 21 in Cuttack-Bhadrak section of East Coast Railway.”

The incident happened around 4.45 pm between Baitarani Road and Manjuri Road stations.

Also read: Modi flags off Odisha’s first Vande Bharat, launches railway projects worth ₹8,200 cr

The train was stranded for three hours till a relief diesel engine pulled it till Manjuri Road, from where the train ran on its own. Tree branches got entangled with its pantograph, besides cracking its windshield and denting the facia, an official said.

The incident did not cause any physical injury to any passenger or staff of the train, he said.

The Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 18 through the virtual mode from Puri and commenced commercial services on May 20.

Also read: West Bengal to get second Vande Bharat express on Howrah-Puri route

As per schedule, the train is to run six days a week between Howrah and Puri, with Thursday being kept for servicing of the rake.

(With input from agencies)