KOLKATA: The Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express resumed its normal service on Tuesday after being cancelled on Monday for the repair of damages sustained by the train during a storm in Odisha’s Jajpur district.
The semi-high-speed train was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 18 from Puri, making it Odisha’s first Vande Bharat and Bengal’s second.
It started its commercial journey on May 20. While returning from Puri to Howrah on May 21, it got stuck for hours after the tree branches got entangled with its pantograph during a storm. The windshield of the pilot cabin had cracked as tree branches fell on it. A diesel engine was sent to bring the train to Manjuri Road station.
According to the South Eastern Railway (SER) official, no one was injured. The official said that they were in constant touch with East Coast Railway (ECR) where the damage had taken place.
Considering the damage, the train had to be cancelled on Monday. According to a senior official, two windows had suffered minor cracks and had to be replaced.
There were a few electrical wiring issues as well as technical problems which were sorted out on Monday. The train was ready by Tuesday.