The Indian Railways will soon reduce the speed of superfast trains like Vande Bharat and Gatiman Express. According to a report in The Hindu, the speed limit will be cut to 130 kmph from 160 kmph on select routes to ensure safety.
According to highly placed railway sources, the North Central Railway had written to the Railway Board to slow down Train No 12050/12049 Delhi-Jhansi-Delhi Gatiman Express, Train No 22470/22469 Delhi-Khajuraho-Delhi Vande Bharat Express, Train No 20172/20171 Delhi-Rani Kamalapati-Delhi Vande Bharat Express, and Train No 12002/12001 Delhi-Rani Kamalapati-Delhi Shatabdi Express trains.
The speed of Gatiman and Vande Bharat Express trains would be reduced from 160 kmph to 130 kmph, while that of Shatabdi Express would be cut down from 150 kmph to 130 kmph. The reduced speed of these trains would result in an increase in running time by about 25-30 minutes.
This came after the increasing number of accidents across the country. The order was issued after the Kanchanjunga Express accident in West Bengal, which left 10 people dead and 40 others injured. A senior railway official said the failure of the Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) on the Delhi-Agra-Jhansi routes was the reason why the premium trains were being slowed down.