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South Western Railway began Vande Bharat field safety trials on Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road ghat

Sakleshpur, Karnataka12 Aug 2026

South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division began field safety trials of an automatic emergency brake-fitted 20-car Vande Bharat Express rake on the Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road Ghat section in the Western Ghats. RDSO personnel were on board to evaluate braking, acceleration, stability and other operational parameters to assess feasibility for a potential Bengaluru–Mangaluru service.

Why it matters

These trials are a prerequisite for safety clearances that would enable introducing Vande Bharat operations on one of the most technically demanding sections of the Bengaluru–Mangaluru rail corridor.

South Western RailwayIndian RailwaysResearch Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO)Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai