Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Vande Bharat safety trials begin on critical Western Ghats section
The railway in India is testing a brand-new super-fast train called the Vande Bharat Express.
They want to run it between two big cities, Bengaluru and Mangaluru.
But the railway track between them goes through big mountains called the Western Ghats.
The track has very steep hills, sharp turns, tunnels and bridges, which makes it hard for a train to go fast and stop safely.
So the railway is doing careful safety tests before letting passengers ride.
They first checked the train at a station in Mysuru, and then moved it to the mountain track.
The train has a special emergency brake that can stop it automatically if something goes wrong.
Experts from an organisation called RDSO are riding along to check the brakes, speed and stability of the train.
If all the tests pass, the fast train may soon start carrying passengers on this route.
South Western Railway's Mysuru Division began field trials of an automatic emergency brake-fitted Vande Bharat Express rake on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section on Wednesday, August 12.
The 20-car rake, specially manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, arrived in Mysuru last week and underwent static trials on Tuesday before being moved to Sakleshpur.
Personnel from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) were on board to examine braking, acceleration, stability and other operational parameters, including the automatic emergency braking system.
The section passes through the Western Ghats and features steep gradients, sharp curves, tunnels and bridges, making it one of the most demanding stretches on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru railway line.
Officials said successful completion of the trials and required safety clearances could pave the way for a possible Vande Bharat Express service between Bengaluru and Mangaluru.
- Who
- South Western Railway's Mysuru Division, with personnel from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) on board; Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Mudit Mittal confirmed the trials.
- What
- Field trials of an automatic emergency brake-fitted Vande Bharat Express rake on the challenging Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section.
- When
- Wednesday, August 12, following static trials at Mysuru on Tuesday; testing is expected to continue for a few more days.
- Where
- Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section in the Western Ghats, on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru railway line in Karnataka.
- Why
- To assess whether the semi-high-speed train can safely operate on the demanding ghat route before any decision on a regular service is taken.
- Railway zone
- South Western Railway, Mysuru Division
- Train
- Vande Bharat Express, 20-car rake with automatic emergency braking
- Manufacturer
- Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai
- Trial section
- Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section, Western Ghats
- Route under assessment
- Bengaluru-Mangaluru
- Field trials began
- Wednesday, August 12
- Parameters evaluated
- Braking, acceleration, stability and automatic emergency braking
- Monitoring body
- Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO)
