The Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat train service was delayed by nearly two hours between Kannur and Kozhikode on Monday following a glitch in electrical supply, leading to a mechanical breakdown.
The train remained at the Kannur railway station for around one and half hours following the mechanical breakdown.
The passengers had a harrowing time as the disruption in the power supply led to the total suspension of the working of air conditioners and operation of the automated doors.
Passengers complained that the authorities had failed to communicate to them the actual time of departure. Several passengers were travelling to the Kozhikode International Airport and in the absence of any communication about the expected departure time, they were left clueless whether to opt for alternative modes of transport to the airport.
Following the glitch in the overhead electric lines, the electrical system in the train turned to automatic mode, leading to the mechanical breakdown. It took around one and half hours for the engineers to reset the system manually, according to sources.
The train had reached Kannur by 3.25 p.m. and resumed journey by 5 p.m.
The train also stopped at least three times between Kannur and Kozhikode, according to the passengers. The train was also provided a brief halt at the Feroke station in Kozhikode for the benefit of those travelling to the Kozhikode airport.
By the time it reached Shoranur, the delay had come down to about one hour and 15 minutes.
Only a detailed inspection of the electrical system could reveal what actually went wrong with the system, the sources said. The data from the system would be downloaded once the train reached Thiruvananthapuram and it would be subjected to detailed scrutiny, they added.
(With input from Kannur bureau)
