Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat Takes an Unexpected Detour to Kalyan, Delays Journey by 1.5 Hours

Mumbai: In an unusual turn of events, passengers aboard the 22229 Mumbai-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express on Monday were surprised to find themselves at Kalyan, a station not on its scheduled route. The train was rerouted following a signalling and telecommunications failure near Diva, delaying the journey by an additional 1.5 hours.

The snag occurred at Diva's point 103 at 6:10 AM, affecting the down local fast line and fifth track connectivity. The train was detained for 35 minutes before being redirected to Kalyan for reversal and onward journey. A Central Railway (CR) spokesperson said, “The priority was to minimize further delays and save every possible minute.”

Impact on Operations and Passenger Frustration

The Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat, typically a semi-high-speed train with an average journey time of 7 hours and 45 minutes, usually halts at eight stations, including Dadar, Thane, Panvel, Khed, Ratnagiri, Kankavali, and Thivim. Monday’s incident disrupted this routine, leading to delays and frustration among commuters.

Passenger Akshay Mahapadi criticized CR, suggesting better resource management could have avoided the inconvenience, claiming that mismanagement at Diva forced the train to reverse all the way to Kalyan. “This wouldn’t have happened if mail-express trains stuck to the fifth-sixth tracks,” he said.

CR officials refuted the allegations, stating that any alternative arrangements could have further affected fast-suburban train operations, causing cascading delays.

Mumbai Metro Aqua Line App Faces Technical Glitch

Adding to the Monday morning chaos, Mumbai Metro’s Aqua Line ticketing system faced a technical glitch, rendering QR code scanning and digital payments inoperative. This led to long queues and arguments at ticket counters.

Commuter Ankita Sisodiya remarked, “If the app isn’t working, the administration should ensure enough change at counters instead of frustrating passengers.”

Officials confirmed the issue and assured the system was restored by noon.