Unusual halts delay Mangaluru-Goa Vande Bharat by two hours

Mangaluru

With the school holiday season at its peak, travel from coastal Karnataka has seen a sharp rise, with families heading to popular destinations for a much needed break. Among these, Goa remains a top choice for many from Mangaluru, offering a mix of beaches, leisure and short-distance accessibility. For such travellers, the Vande Bharat Express operating between Mangaluru and Madgaon has emerged as one of the most preferred options, thanks to its comfort, speed and convenient schedule.

However, today’s journey on the Mangaluru - Goa Vande Bharat turned into a frustrating experience for passengers, as the train reportedly ran nearly two hours late, raising fresh concerns about recurring delays on this otherwise premium service. Passengers onboard said the train was subjected to multiple unscheduled halts along the route, particularly in the final stretch approaching Madgaon, significantly extending the travel time. Many travellers expressed disappointment, noting that such delays defeat the very purpose of choosing a high-speed train.

Families travelling with children, tourists with fixed hotel check-ins, and passengers with connecting plans were among those most affected. What was expected to be a seamless and time-efficient journey instead turned into a prolonged and uncertain wait. Ashok, who travelled from Mangaluru on today’s train, described the situation as frustrating. “The delay became more evident as we neared the destination. Even when the train was barely 20 kilometres away, it was halted repeatedly to allow other trains to pass. We kept waiting without any clear update on how long the halt would last,” he said. Frequent travellers point out that such incidents are not new.

Aravind Bhat from Surathkal shared a similar experience from a previous trip, where the delay extended beyond two hours. He highlighted a recurring inconvenience faced by passengers from intermediate locations. “The train had halted for a long time near Surathkal, but passengers were not allowed to get down. Despite being so close to home, I had to continue till Mangaluru Central and then travel back by road,” he said, adding that this adds unnecessary time and cost. Passengers say that while the onboard experience of the Vande Bharat remains excellent, punctuality is becoming a growing concern.

The repeated halts, especially on single line sections of the route, are often attributed to the need to give way to other train movements, indicating underlying infrastructure limitations. Railway officials, when contacted, stated that such delays are not a regular occurrence and are usually caused by operational and logistical constraints. “Maximum care is taken to ensure timely arrivals and departures. However, due to track availability and coordination requirements with other trains, occasional delays may happen,” an official said.

The issue has once again brought attention to the need for faster infrastructure upgrades, including track doubling and improved signalling systems, to support high-speed train operations without disruption. As passenger expectations continue to rise, especially for premium services like the Vande Bharat, ensuring reliability and punctuality will be key to maintaining commuter confidence. For now, today’s nearly two-hour delay has left many travellers disappointed, even as they continue to hope for smoother journeys in the future.